The depressing feeling captures Nate Krill after losing his job, wife, and home.So, he decides to go to his eccentric father, Bob, who finds him a job in an old folks home where he helps the elders put on a new play.
The kind of lame, unimaginative comedy that constantly takes cheap shots at elderly characters, and then turns on a dime and begs you to see the humanity in them.
There is no punchline to this joke, just a great big question mark. Because it's confounding that anyone is still writing a movie like Humor Me, let alone wrangling uber-talented superstars like Clement and Gould into starring in it.
Hoffman secures success with the pairing of leads Clement and Gould, who pull off an itchy family dynamic with terrific timing, bringing heart and laughs to "Humor Me."
Performances are this movie's strong suit. Gould could use some better material, but he sketches his character deftly and demonstrates his professional savvy.
Clement channels his wry hangdog humor into a slightly more grounded performance than he often gives. His charm and absurdist tendencies help elevate Nate from a potentially self-centered man-child to a lost soul who is genuinely compelling.
There's no shortage of movies about male sad-sacks who are stuck in a rut, but this one, though predictable, is mildly funny and warmly likable thanks to fine casting and sympathetic performances.
