Envy
starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Weisz, Amy Poehler and Christopher Walken
written by Steve Adams
directed by Barry Levinson
Don’t make the mistake I did of renting this movie. It is a really stupid comedy about two neighbors - typical Ben Stiller material. One makes it rich inventing and marketing a spray that makes dog poo simply vanish, and the other, after refusing his friend’s offer of a partnership early on in his entrepreneurial project, gets left behind and consumed with envy as he witnesses his neighbors success across the street. There is nothing redeeming in Envy. It will fill 90-minutes of your time if you are really bored. Or, if you are an avid Jack Black fan, you will feel driven towards it and may enjoy it. I admit that Jack Black is a great performer, but ... if you fancy watching a weird neighbor movie, then Neighbors, with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi is better, and so is The Burbs, with Tom Hanks.
Christopher Walken is the best character in this film, although I have never been a Christopher Walken fan. He is supposed to excel at portraying creepy characters, but he doesn’t do it for me. Instead, I think Michael Douglas is much better at filling creepy ‘Prince of Darkness’ roles.