Let me tell you that even looking for an image for this post had me chuckling, giggling even; in just looking at screencaps from the film. I could go and see this again tonight if I wasn’t already bound by my love for True Blood..

The Hangover is as good as you’ve been hearing, no doubt about it. I know sometimes when you hear a lot of ‘hype’ about a movie, it makes you want to see it less. After all, you don’t want to be so agreeable, and seem like a lemming, y/n? But this is one of the rare occasions in which if you thought the trailer alone was hilarious; don’t worry, it actually hasn’t given away the best jokes.

I don’t think I stopped laughing during this movie for any length of time – it was so well paced, the jokes kept on coming, even just the physicality of watching guys wake up from a night so memorable they’ve forgotten it, and watching them wake up in a daze. Never before has watching drunken guys at a bachelor party been so hilarious.

The film follows four guys; Doug (Justin Bartha), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) & Stu (Ed Helms) on the penultimate night before Doug is to wed Tracy. They stereotypically plan a trip to Las Vegas, though Stu tells his overbearing (let’s just say overbearing is putting it mildly) girlfriend that they’re off to Napa Valley for a winery tour. Doug has politely brought along Alan, his fiance’s brother who is a little bit weird.. The introductory scene has him and Doug trying on their wedding tuxes where Alan says a few kind words in uh.. open from the back underwear. Its a touching moment.

Phil played by Bradley Cooper (who I’ve known would be a star ever since he starred as Will Tippin in Alias) is a high school teacher, who compiles money for his class’s field trip – for his Vegas trip – and plays the overly confident ‘leader’ of the pack, who constantly admonishes even Alan’s presence on the trip; or the fact that he has a manbag. Or a purse. To which Alan responds its a satchel. And that Indiana Jones has one. Stu is ‘whipped’ by his girlfriend, and seems to wanting to get married also, whilst Doug is the nice guy.. (though in real life; dating an Olsen twin? Loss of a brownie point right there..)

What works is that whilst it could have just been a night of debauchery, and it could have been any other pushing-the-boundary type film about boys and their toys, and strip clubs and gambling; the way the evening unfolds after a single shot of Jagermeister (the only drink we see them drinking..) the hilarity of the evening unfolds from when Alan goes to the bathroom, and in his half-awake, but still dazed state nearly pees directly on the coat of a tiger. Not a tiger rug, but a tiger. From there.. it just keeps on going and it turns into a road movie through the streets of Las Vegas as Alan, Phil & Stu discover Doug has gone missing. The movie retraces their steps through the night, although the last thing they actually remember is that drink on the rooftop of Caesar’s Palace.

Through this night of drunkenness, gambling, and hitting up clubs, they also make enemies, go to the hospital, one of them gets hitched to Heather Graham (she really seems to be a bit typecast in the blonde ditz role, I think) and end up with a baby in their hotel room. And Mike Tyson’s tiger. And a lone chicken. And as far fetched and ridiculous as that sounds; as the extremely hung over guys manage to retrace their steps and come across characters they’ve met over the night that they don’t remember it all just flows beautifully and seamlessly.

As much as I have a fondness for Bradley Cooper, I can honestly say Zach Galifianakis owns this film. His bearded, beer bellied self and his odd observations are hard to describe. Apparently, he’s been some sort of cult comedian, a bit under the radar – and this may just be his ‘break-out’ performance. Some have compared his performance to that of the late Chris Farley; acting dumb in such a way that its so deadpan it makes it funnier. His character has such a heart and wins you over when you least expect it; and I think its all about timing. Zach and Mike Tyson’s tiger probably steal the show. And the baby.

I could almost, almost tell you ‘if there’s one comedy guaranteed to have your stomach hurting in hilarity for 2009′ – it’d be this one. I know its only.. halfway through the year. But I think this might be it. After all, for everyone that told me I had to see this, the word funny was preceded by another ‘F’ word. I’ll leave it to you to think of what that might have been..

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