Hall Pass [2011]

July 12, 2011

You know, the first time I watched this movie I thought it wasn’t raunchy enough. However, the second time around I found it to be hilariously spot-on. So, Hall Pass is a raunchy sex comedy featuring all kinds of nasty jokes and exquisitely funny toilet humor. Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly, the guys behind such hits as Dumb and Dumber and Kingpin, it follows two married guys who get permission from their wives to have unlimited sex with other girls for exactly one week. You’ll have to admit that the main story sounds mighty interesting.

And if you’re watching it with your partner, things might get even mightier. Like this doesn’t sound so bad or oh my god, I could never do that. Sex and marriage simply don’t go together as well as you might initially think in your twenties. By the time you get to forty, you realize things have changed significantly. And it’s important to talk about these things. About sex, mid-life crisis, and that elusive pursuit of happiness. If you bottle up your feelings nothing good will come of it.

So, if this dumb romantic comedy makes you discuss these issues with your partner then I would call it a great success in the words of wise Borat. Hall Pass features excellent dialogue and authentic character development. Depending on your age and lifestyle you will either feel like you know these characters or like you’re actually them. When it comes to the cast, I had my doubts about Owen Wilson but he was decent here while Jason Sudeikis gave an excellent performance. We also have Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate to top things off. Although I think that Alexandra Daddario might steal your attention here and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Meet Rick and Fred, two ordinary guys living ordinary lives with their ordinary wives. Even their marriage is ordinary meaning without much sex. So our two heroes spend a lot of time fantasizing about having sex with other women. Not even in their wildest dreams could Rick and Fred imagine what’s going to happen next. After an unfortunate incident, their wives decide to give them a hall pass, permission to do what they want for exactly one week. They’re hoping that our gruesome twosome is going to get it out of their system but they have another thing coming…

If there’s something I like about comedies it’s the bonus scenes we get as the credits are rolling. And the ones you have the opportunity to check out here are hilarious. So, make sure to stick ’till the end. I also might’ve been a bit too hard on the raunchy part of the movie as there are some pretty nasty jokes. What can I say, I’m a fan of toilet humor. And we will get not one but two shitting scenes here! And both of them were freaking hilarious. After all, we’re talking about the Farrelly Brothers here who have already reached perfection with the one in Dumb and Dumber.

Hall Pass is much better than, for example, Hot Tub Time Machine as it’s willing to go that extra mile. So, if you’re looking for that special brand of raunchy sex comedy, you’ve just found it. And if you’re looking for movies like Hall Pass I suggest you start with Sex Drive, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and EuroTrip. Or you could check out some of the Farrelly’s early works like There’s Something About Mary.