MovieChat Forums > Partner(s) (2005) Discussion > Help - What Makes 'Partner(s)' So Bad?

Help - What Makes 'Partner(s)' So Bad?


Just watched this for the first time last night. I'm a fan of Michael Ian Black, so I thought it would be worth seeing even though he's not the lead. Immediately as the film starts, something seems off. It's as if the first 15 minutes of the film are missing and we're tossed right in without familiarity with the characters. And we never really get to know the characters from then on, especially Dave, the protagonist. Dave is pretty much a blank slate throughout the film, doesn't emote anything and we never gain any investment into his character.

Anyway, bottom line is, this movie doesn't work. It's as if it's pretending to be a film, but it's all on the surface, there is nothing inside. As I watched it I knew it just wasn't clicking, but I couldn't really put my finger on why. I never even made it through the whole thing, but the only reason I watched as much as I did was that I was fascinated with how bad it was and I wanted to figure out what was killing it.

Any ideas? I think it's a combination of many little things. Sometimes, it's the acting. Some supporting characters over-do it while the main character doesn't seem to be trying at all. Sometimes it's that the soundtrack kicks in when it shouldn't (not to mention drowning out the dialog in a quiet scene) and is silent when ambiance is needed. Some of it is the repetition. For example, the movie keeps cutting back to those two co-worker guys that endlessly blather about who's gay, who's not gay, what it means to be gay, whether they themselves are gay... Too many times the story screeches to a halt so these guys can waste your time. The comedic timing is off - the jokes just don't land.

So was it mainly bad direction? Or a bad script? The premise is interesting enough, but the execution is poor and they didn't go far enough with the idea - so it ends up boring, predictable, and empty.

I'd like to know what others thought about this one... did any of those things bother you? Was there anything else?

reply

The only part I didn't like was the 10 minutes of "Where are they now?" at the end of the movie.

reply

I think what might be throwing you off is how grounded the acting is. If you take another Romantic Comedy - such as "How To Loose a Guy in 10 Days" - they almost overact. The gags, their 'kookiness', even their way of speaking in heightened. Where as in Partner(s), they're not afraid to be quiet, they're not trying to act any differently. True, some things may seem exaggerated, but the movie does not make a big deal out of itself.

The only person who really, truly cares that Dave is 'gay' is Catherine, while others aren't bothered by it. Sure, most use him to promote themselves, but in real life there would not be a huge commotion over his orientation which many movies may see as a great opportunity for some comic moments.

reply