What I’m watching: a very poor comedy on Paramount+Date: 11/8/2021 Streaming: “Queenpins”
I understand how the comedy in this film is supposed to work, as the script is the classic “fish out of water” format. You take several characters who don’t know anything about what they are about to do and watch the hilarity that ensues.
Unfortunately in this case what happens is not very funny and in fact, all of the laughs in the film are generated by one supporting character – and many of those are scatological.
“Queenpins” is based on a true story in which three women were involved in a counterfeit coupon operation and were caught bilking a lot of money from major corporations. In this film, there are two women, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) whose lives are not what they hoped they would be.
Connie is a woman in a bad marriage who yearns for a child. JoJo has been struggling with the aftermath of having her identity stolen. Connie is an extreme coupon fanatic – remember that from several years ago? – and realizes the Holy Grail of all coupons are the ones companies send to consumers who complain about a product. These coupons are for a completely free product.
Connie realizes if she can get enough of them, she could sell them at a discount to other consumers. The problem is how does she get enough of them and how does she sell them. Her friend JoJo starts a website and then promotes it with a series of YouTube videos. The coupons come from a printing plant in Mexico where the two women have enlisted an accomplice.
Soon they are making a lot of cash and beginning to see their lives change when something happens: they get noticed by a loss prevention officer for a grocery store chain.
Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser) has made loss prevention his life’s work and is insistent that federal authorities look into the matter. Finally, a postal inspector (Vince Vaughn) is assigned to the case.
The trouble with this story is that a drama based on the actual case may have worked better as a drama than this alleged comedy. The two leads have no room in the script written and directed by the husband and wife duo of Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly for any humorous situations.
The cast is great, but they have nothing comedic to do. Joel McHale, who actually knows comedy, is wasted as Connie’s jerk husband.
The film is also more than two hours long, which is unusual for a comedy. The pacing lags a great deal and the filmmakers take their time to lead up to the actual meat of the story.
There are plenty of good comedies on Paramount+, but this isn’t one of them.
A couple of tips
If you’ve not watched “Only Murders in the Building,” do yourself a favor and commit to this funny mystery mini-series on Hulu. Steve Martin and Martin Short prove once more what a great team they make and Selena Gomez keeps up with them as the third member of an ad hoc group of New Yorkers trying to solve both their personal problems and the solution to a murder in their apartment building.
The cast includes some other big names who make welcome surprise appearances.
I’m almost done with “Dopesick,” also on Hulu. It’s a dramatization of the book of the same name about the opioid crisis and it’s harrowing. Michael Keaton is a standout as a small town doctor who becomes addicted. Keaton has shown himself over and over that he is an impressive dramatic actor.
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