Numbers obtained from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes on April 28, 2016.
My rating IMDb Rotten Tomatoes
Critics Audience Critics Audience
7/10 35/100 7.4/10 29% Not available yet.
There are some comedians who I like and can’t explain exactly why. Ricky Gervais is one of them. I find funny almost everything he says, even when he’s not trying to be funny! Perhaps is the way he speaks, or forces his smile when he knows he’s saying something controversial, etc. So whenever I have the opportunity, I follow his projects! And I was able to watch Special Correspondents at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.
Written, directed by and starring Ricky Gervais and released directly to Netflix, Special Correspondents tells the story of radio journalist Frank Bonneville (Eric Bana), and sound engineer Ian Finch (Ricky Gervais) who were assigned to go to Ecuador to report on a war taking place there. Due to some confusion on their way to the airport, they lose the tickets and passports. So they decide to stay in New York and pretend that the transmissions are being made from Ecuador.
It may seem that the central theme of the film is journalism but actually I think it’s fame and what people are willing to do to be famous. Let me explain: Frank is a completely malicious journalist who is willing to break any rules to get a scoop and have more time on air. By the same token, we have Eleanor Finch (Vera Farmiga), Ian’s wife. At one point in the film, Ian and Frank are reported missing and, instead of being worried over the absence of her husband, she takes this opportunity to promote herself, releasing an album and featuring on magazine covers.
The story is really funny and the characters are just as crazy, as I expected from a film of Ricky Gervais. The humor is very British, but the New York audience and laughed and approved (including me). It’s no masterpiece, of course, but it’s a fun movie for those who like this kind of comedy and want to spend almost two hours in a fun way.
