'About My Father' Needs A Divorce From The Theaters
Completely un-original in every conceivable way, About My Father is a comedy you'll forget as soon as the credits roll. Starring and co-written by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, AMF is a dreadfully predictable comedy. Maniscalco crafts a dull romp that's neither funny nor heartwarming. It's as cold as a dead fish and yet another comedy where Robert De Niro plays the demanding father of an adult who's about to be married. What ensues is a series of gags that can be cherry-picked from other comedies that have done the same jokes but better.
One can't help but draw parallels to the Focker movies since the structure is the same but worse. Sebastian Maniscalco (played by himself) is in love with his boo Ellie Collins (Leslie Bibb). The loving couple embarks on a trip to meet Ellie's parents for the first time. Tagging along on the trip is Sebastia's father, Salvo (Robert De Niro). It's a high-pressure vacation where Sebastian must win over not only Ellie's parents but his father's as well.
The difference between Sebastian's and Ellie's families are vast. Sebastian comes from a working-class background, where Salvo is a hairstylist who lives for his job. Meanwhile, Ellie's parents are rich and the complete opposite of Sebatian's dad. Ellie's mother, Tigger (Kim Cattrall), is a Senator, and her father, Bill (David Basche), is a hotel chain owner.
Both families are eccentric in their own ways. The Maniscalcos believe in a strong work ethic over relaxation, and the Collins have a free-spirited vibe that doesn't worry about financials since they're already rich. When the two clash, what could be hilarity that ensues is rather a case of boring cliches that do little to enhance an already tiresome, familiar story.
It's clear a comedy doesn't know what it's doing when one of its main jokes is genital-based humor. When using a water jet pack, Sebastian's bathing suit slides off, exposing little Sebastian to Salvo and Ellie's parents. The gag goes on for far too long and isn't remotely funny to anyone above the age of thirteen. Therein lies the problem with About My Father. It's an immature comedy that offers cheap jokes over something clever. Secondly, it's another case where the writer thinks he's weaving a relatable personal story that's more boring than engaging.
One of the laziest ways for a writer to keep the audience informed is narration. Narration is a story mechanic that, when used appropriately, can help motivate the story. Look no further than Goodfellas, where Henry Hill's voice-over covers years of information in one compact film while maintaining a sense of energy that only someone like Martin Scorsese can carry over.
When you get bad narration, it's a crutch to overly update the audience since the writer doesn't know how to convey the material through individual scenes or any real character development. About My Father only requires a little explanation given the simplicity of its narrative, so why have it? Let alone use it throughout the entire movie. More so, why does Robert De Niro keep picking these projects?
Robert De Niro's career has been up and down since Meet The Parents. Post MTP, De Niro has played the grouchy father/grandfather role to death. From Meet The Fockers to Little Fockers and The War With Grandpa De Niro has been on autopilot. Works like Joker and The Irishman are the projects De Niro should pursue more and ditch these comedy cash grabs. Let's face it, even legends like Robert De Niro can't ignore a large paycheck when offered one. De Niro isn't participating in these comedies for the art of it. It's all about the money.
About My Father is a misuse of talent and comedy. Neither funny nor original, the narrative drags itself toward a predictable plot and conclusion without much to be remembered. There's not a single plot point in AMF where I didn't see what would happen next.
About My Father is Sebastian Maniscalco's personal tale of Italian immigrants transitioning to the United States. Robert De Niro plays a man who immigrated to the States intending to live the American dream. Although he found a taste of it, Ellie's wasp family lives it completely. What the film has to say about the economic differences between classes isn't much.
The most we get out of it is a scene where Salvo tries to discover the price of the food at a restaurant, although the Collins are covering the bill. It's one of the few segments that worked since Salvo made a good point about wasting money,
The movie plays more like a dull standup comedy bit from Sebastian Maniscalco about Italian Americans that doesn't go anywhere beyond its trite conventions. Save your money and the car trip to the Cineplex by renting Meet The Parents instead. Or wait for About My Father to be available for streaming.
