On W List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)



What Planet Are You From? (2000)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 9/24

WhatPlanet
9/24: Imagine my surprise when I saw Garry Shandling's face on the DVD cover of What Planet Are You From?

He's famous for a TV sitcom called The Larry Sanders Show that ran on HBO for six years during the 90's. Oddly enough, there was an episode about Larry working on a screenplay, and that one could be for this. In fact, it's exactly what Garry Shandling did while doing The Larry Sanders Show.

Anyway, the concept is clever on the surface, and I didn't realize until afterwards that Mike Nichols directed the film although I knew the quality of the material was certainly high along with the lineup of all-stars. The acting is all there with the best performances coming from Annette Bening and Greg Kinnear. A former regular on The Larry Sanders Show, Janeane Garofalo makes a cameo appearance on the airplane.

However, there's too much obsession with sex. It's annoying throughout. Had that been toned down, the witty stuff could come out more, making the film better. But let's be real: how hard is it to impregnate a woman? Just find an alcoholic. It's what I said from the beginning, and they did exactly that. Hence, the overall effect is ruined because it eventually didn't make sense.

All in all, What Planet Are You From? is a nice try but goes overboard with the sex stuff.