30 Minutes or Less
We've grown increasingly tired of the lo-fi loser comedies repeatedly churned out by Hollywood. This one, however, was different enough from the norm to get us hooked, and is liberally sprinkled with belly laughs to make up for its shortcomings.
The hype...
'Zombieland' director Ruben Fleischer brings along Jesse Eisenberg for his latest offering. TV favourite Aziz Ansari steps up from supporting roles to take on a much bigger part here too, and we're keen to see if his charisma can translate to the big screen. Meanwhile Danny McBride is brought in to play the same character he always does, but if it ain't broke, why fix it?
The story...
Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a pizza delivery boy for a company with a strict “30 minutes or less” policy, any later and the order is free of charge. As he traverses the town in his beat up old car, Nick realises he has little going for him in life.
Across town two delusional stoners (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) are formulating a plan that needs money. In a temporary stroke of genius, they stumble across the perfect crime: call over the pizza boy, strap a bomb to him and force him to do their bidding.
With Nick now a walking disaster zone, best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) is drafted in to help, but only on the condition that Nick drops his interest in Chet's sister.
As time runs out, the pair embark on a mini-crime spree that culminates in a daring bank raid. However, even with the cash in their hands, the problems are only going to get worse. And the last thing Nick and Chet need to do is fall out with one another.
The breakdown...
Our initial fears that this was going to be as bad as 'Pineapple Express', or any of the other stoner comedies that have polluted the cinemas recently, were quickly dispelled. For starters the humour relies on gags, rather than having characters spewing bleary-eyed nonsense about getting the munchies. There is one exception to this, but with McBride and Swardson we're willing to make an allowance.
The main characters, played brilliantly by Eisenberg and Ansari, rely on a sense of camaraderie and personal history to convey emotion. The subtle jokes between them feel very natural and the tension that old wounds can yield also comes across believable.
Ansari is not the finished article, but you can sense him picking up confidence throughout the film. Working with Eisenberg will do him no harm at all, and there is something refreshingly innocent about his delivery of some pretty tricky lines.
The layering of unnecessary characters later on derail the film somewhat. A hitman from out of town and a money-hungry stripper don't add anything; in fact their over-the-top antics are out of kilter with the rest of the story.
McBride and Swardson also have a few moments of excess, but luckily they know when to dial it down before it goes too far. And the 'kidnapping' scene, where they first interact with Eisenberg is a delight.
A short, witty and sometimes inventive comedy that is better than we expected it to be.
The verdict...
Jesse Eisenberg probably needed a break after 'The Social Network', and this is the perfect vehicle for him to do just that. It's less than 90 minutes long, and for a short, sharp burst of comedy you can't really go wrong.
Rating: 3.5/5
'30 minutes or less' is due to be released in the UK on 16 September. Certificate: 15.
