Steve Carell – Dinner for Schmucks (2010, Paramount)
The second half of the 2000s were a good time for Steve Carell. Following his dual successes in The 40-Year Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine, he made the step up from “Former Daily Show Correspondent” to comedic actor with dramatic chops. He had his run on the American version of The Office, Date Night, and the first Despicable Me to his credit before this flop was released.
On paper, the cast was full of some of the hippest comedy stars of the day and it was a remake of well-regarded French dark comedy, but everything about the tone of the American version was off. By sawing the rough edges off its characters, it actually made them seem like worse people. The film came and went without much thought. Carell has obviously done fine despite it
