What I’m Watching: A long, unfunny Will Ferrell comedy

Sept. 8, 2020 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

What I’m watching: a long unfunny comedy with Will Ferrell

On Netflix: ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’

I’m a weak man. I should have known better. I wanted to see a new comedy and here Netflix offers me up one: a lavishly produced comedy with Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams.

I should have known better.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Ferrell’s style of comedy – the person is who supremely unaware of his limitations – but I was willing to give it a try. I will admit that during some painfully predictable scenes the fast-forward button was used.

According to the Internet, the intent of this film was to be released at the time the actual Eurovision Song Contest was taking place this summer. The annual event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

I could see how European Netflix subscribers could certainly welcome their comedy as the contest had been an annual event since 1956.

Designed to promote European unity, the televised contest has grown in both the number of countries represented as well as prestige.

Each participating nation has a contest to select a performer and a pop song for the competition. Viewers can vote for their favorite.

In terms of pop music, the most recognizable group and song for American audiences that has come out of the contest is Abba with their hit “Waterloo.”

In this country the contest does not have the top-of-mind- awareness as it does in other parts of the world. This year, the 2020 show was supposed to be available through on-demand.

This movie is designed to capture, in a comic way, the exaggerated flavor of the show by telling the story of two musicians from a small town in Iceland who are selected to be their country’s representatives to the 2020 contest. Ferrell (Lars)  and McAdams (Sigrit) get little respect from their neighbors, but through a freak “accident” they wind up going to Edinburgh to compete.

Along the way there is romantic intrigue – the two are in love but have never so much as kissed as Lars is unsure if  they are actually half-brother and sister. There is political intrigue as the governor of the central bank of Iceland is fearful if they win, Iceland would have to host the next year’s contest, which would financially wreck the small country.

And there are elves – real elves.

Essentially the plot revolves around the build-up to their chance for success only for Lars to lose faith in himself, which breaks up the duo at a critical moment.  

The film looks great with plenty of location shooting. McAdams is a vastly under-rated actor who handles her comic duties well. The film is often silly with its exaggerated depictions of the other performers. The writing for me is formulaic.

Running over two hours, the film is slowly paced, which is a real problem for comedies.

I could not get over that Ferrell, who is 53, is supposed to be playing a man who is close to the age of his singing partner.

The age difference between the two actors is very apparent and if the film had been recast, it might have worked better, however Ferrell was one of the producers and co-wrote the film.
    Ferrell needs to think how to make the successful transition to parts more appropriate for his age.

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