I admit that I have never been a particularly active Norm Macdonald fan. I had seen his works here and there from time to time, and I certainly enjoyed his style of humour, but there's much of his works that I just still have not managed to see. His death was certainly a surprise, and with his sad passing I decided to return to much of his creations, appreciating them more knowing they came from a comedian that was clearly going through life's greatest struggle. He chose to keep this illness to himself, continuing on with his career and passion for generating laughter. I find that incredibly admirable, to put aside your own deepest struggles and pursue spreading joy and laughter to the world. Even if you haven't heard of Norm, well, this alone should speak of what sort of talent he was to the world of comedy. Despite seeing a few of his shows, I don't think I've really seen any films with him in, or at least I can't really remember any. Perhaps the odd voice acting gig.
I was looking for something a bit shorter to watch yesterday, not really feeling searching for things or watching anything too long. Sort of idle and checked out throughout the day. I was browsing the Internet and wasting time with this idle mood I had, coming across a post with a reference from a younger film with Norm in it. I looked it up and discovered it was Dirty Work. A comedy film in which Norm Macdonald is the lead; the general idea of the film seemed highly familiar to me, and I'm sure I have actually seen it before many years ago. Something I continued to feel even during watching the film. While the comedy films I have watched as of late have been quite terrible, I was actually a bit hesitant going into this. Genuinely traumatised by the bad parody films I put myself through this past month!
I enjoyed Dirty Work though. It was a fun flick that reminded me of the era of Hollywood that didn't really care. Throwing out films that weren't good but not terrible, still being some short, light enjoyment that'll get some laughs from you and then leave.
Dirty Work
Lighthearted comedy films seem like a thing of the past these days. It seems like a rarity that a studio will throw money at a comedian with some relative fame to produce a 90 minute experience surrounding their comedic style while telling a story. I did see the absolutely atrocious Die Hart film recently which I do believe somewhat counts, but a rarity mostly due to Hart's strangely ongoing status within Hollywood. I haven't seen any from others in a long, long time. Jim Caddy and Steve Martin come to mind from yesteryear. Perhaps Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock. But a feature film with Norm Macdonald seemed like a surprise to me, and I had to check it out to see what lengths he went to; somewhat expecting something utterly chaotic like Freddy Got Fingered by Tom Green. Dirty Work actually seemed more grounded despite its comedy, not so much about Norm as a comedian, but giving him an actual character and story to back him. Seeming much like a comedy film that could've easily been made without him. I actually enjoyed it for this reason, and was pleasantly surprised by it.
Dirty Work is a film that shows a protagonist, played by Norm, that is in his 30s but incapable of maintaining a regular life. Constantly jumping from one job to the next in a struggle to accept responsibility; very much taking a light perception of life and laughing at everything in a way that makes him seem far from serious about anything. This does seem more like Norm as a person, but works well for the story and character. Being incapable of getting by, losing his job, his girlfriend, and apartment, he looks to his friend to take him in. Coincidentally at this time, his friend's father has a heart attack and needs a transplant in order to survive. In order to save him, a sketchy Chevy Chase doctor requests a bribe of $50,000 which equates to his own gambling debts. The two go on a quest to make the money necessary to pay him off. The film at this point has already set up its main idea in a sequence that shows his character in his youth: always managing to get revenge on bad people. A talent in getting payback.
The two come to the realisation that they can start a new business: one that does other people's dirty work. This means that they can be hired to get revenge on others. This is mostly done through means of sabotage, ruining live television interviews, burying fish into the homes of victims so that it stinks the place out; though funnily much of these actions are clearly far from legal. This idea is pretty fun, it has a lot of potential for something more, I could see it working as a short television series. But Dirty Work explores it briefly before moving on. This idea of them messing with other people seems short lived as the narrative returns to its roots. I quite like that it didn't overstay its welcome and moves forward quickly. It doesn't seem like it clings too much to a certain idea and is in constant motion despite the short runtime. This means the comedy is mostly in the silly dialogue. Typical Norm comedy as it seems unexpected, gritty, but also very grounded. Norm's humour is great, often being deadpan and out of context, or just downright horrible and relying on shock value. This is still the case in the film, and it actually made me laugh quite a few times. A lot of this humour relies on quick lines that just sound utterly stupid. Jokes about his army of prostitutes are a frequent in the film, but if you know Norm's comedy then this isn't anything out of the norm.
There's a big cast of Saturday Night Live comedians in the film, adding to a lineup that's quite impressive for the film. They all have a fun part to play in it. Especially Chevy Chase as a gambling addict with debts to pay off. Each time we see him, he has something new broken. There's also the late Chris Farley who plays, to no surprise, a man that has had his nose bitten off by a prostitute. Many more recognisable faces to be found, but yep! Quite a surprise to see so many of them here. Though of course the real highlight is Norm. I really liked his character of a guy in his 30s that just can't seem to catch a break in life. Definitely not made for the way society functions, but managing to get by through pure luck and keeping a relaxed nature at all times. Alongside his aesthetic is the 90s punk rock music that film provides. It just adds to the comedic, relaxed tone of the film. Admittedly also appealing to the younger demographic at the time that would enjoy this film. Teens and men in their early 20s, students and laid-back groups that are lost and still yet to take a real dive into the chaos of life. Though it doesn't seem as edgy as you'd think for this sort of comedy film. Much of the humour still seems quite tame. Just out of context or very silly. I liked that about it.
I would not say that this is a good film, but it is one that I enjoyed. It has a bit of everything in it that just comes together nicely to create a short experience. It's not something you'll forget very quickly, but also not something you'll remember much of in large detail a few weeks later. A few funny jokes here and there that you might see referenced around at best. Bob Saget does a decent job directing this, but as you'd expect it isn't anything overly artistic or creative. Each shot is crafted with a simplistic goal in mind, and it works well enough. If you're a fan of Norm Macdonald and haven't seen this film, then I'm sure you'll like seeing younger Norm doing what he does best: act like a fool! If you aren't really a fan of Norm, then I don't really know if you'll appreciate it as much, you may even find the humour just too strange and stupid. I think the audience for this is rather specific. But if you have nothing else to watch and feel like watching something a little older and different, then check it out!
I do wish we had more films being made like this though. Very cheap. Short. But enjoyable. You'll laugh a bit, have a good time. And then you'll move on. It's a nice reminder that feature length cinema doesn't have to be so epic and lengthy. Sometimes just a few laughs is enough.
