The very fact of using an acting duet in cinema to attract the attention of the viewer is obvious. The system by which two completely different people are in the frame immediately attracts the attention of a person. It becomes interesting for him to follow the joint pastime of vivid opposites, which, accordingly, directly affects the success of the film.
“Fat and thin”, “strong and weak”, “smart and stupid”, “evil and kind” - all these cinematic duets are created in part to show that all people are essentially the same, and the differences, at first seeming radical are actually quite negligible.
Usually, viewers respond well to this kind of comedy, revising the tapes about funny things, omissions and funny adventures of characters many times.
The film “Back to Back” (2010) was not an exception, the reviews for which were mostly positive. Partly, the film was liked by the viewer because of the legendary Robert Downey Jr. playing in it, and partly thanks to the original and witty script.
Film
The film “Back to Back”, shot by Todd Phillips, only secured him the title of one of the best comedic artists in Hollywood. After Todd directed The Bachelor Party in Vegas in 2009, Back to Top became the very film that worthily continued the humorous line in the director's work, but did not become a self-repetition and plagiarism of older ideas for the master.
The director’s well-deserved authority not only allowed Phillips to choose the actors and composer for the film himself, but also gave the studio the opportunity to give the creative person complete freedom of action, which affected the success of the film. The director does not hesitate to touch on topics that are dangerous for cinematic censorship, such as sex or drugs, which further fuels the viewer's interest in work that is competently built on the verge of what is permitted and what is not allowed.
Plot
The film “Back to Back” tells the story of the incredible journey of two completely different people who, by the will of fate, are forced to travel together practically across the whole country. The main character of the film - Peter Hayman - is in a hurry to return from a business trip in order to catch home just in time for the birth of the first-born. All the circumstances of his journey are incredibly successful, he manages to get on the plane he needs at the last moment, but due to a conflict that suddenly broke out with actor Ethan Tramble, Peter is in a completely unusual position.
Security simply throws two brawlers out of the plane, and the debaters realize that they were left without money, credit cards, documents and baggage. And they are left to their own devices and are incredibly far from the place where they wanted to get by air flight.
Trying to get out of the situation, Ethan rents a car, and the two heroes united by a common failure go home, hoping to cover the distance by rally and catch the right place at the right time.
Peter, a clerk of a small company, by nature a pedant and a serious person who hates any deviations from generally accepted rules, prefers business communication, but his fellow traveler, as luck would have it, turns out to be sociable, frustrated and incredibly annoying Hayman with his spiritual simplicity.
However, all the clerk can do now is sit in the passenger seat in the car and bicker with Ethan, who, on the contrary, sincerely does not understand why his fellow traveler does not want to brighten up the road with interesting games or funny chatter about anything.
People leaving feedback on “Back to End” 2010 note that it is the simple humor with which each character relates in heart to all conclusions, and that is the same thing that unites all people on earth.
Both men are forced to sit side by side almost the whole way, endure each other, learn to listen to each other and trust each other. In the process, they both understand that they have much more in common than differences, and become good friends, although until recently each of them publicly swore that he was ready to kill the other.
Premiere
The first screening of the film took place on November 5, 2010. The premiere was attended not only by members of the cast, but also by the director of the tape. On the first weekend, the film raised about sixty million dollars. The feedback on “Back-to-back” in 2010 turned out to be so good that it was decided to extend the duration of the demonstration in major US theaters. On the day of the premiere, the film gathered a good box office for social comedy, and also received many favorable reviews from film critics and moviegoers.
Cast
In addition to the legendary Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Halifianakis, the film was attended by no less famous actors such as Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx and Juliette Lewis. The film also became an acting debut for many aspiring theater actors who decided to concentrate on work in the field of cinema. It was the quality selection of actors and the excellent work with the cast that influenced such a large number of excellent reviews on “Back to top”.
Filming
Despite the fact that the characters of Robert and Zack hate each other almost throughout the film, the actors immediately became friends with each other. Each of them noted that working with a colleague brought only positive emotions. The director of the film, Todd Phillips, said in an interview that making a film that takes place on the road is much easier. There is no need to build the actions of the characters, as the road conditions will do all the work for the director.
Soundtrack
The original author’s compositions for the film were presented by Christophe Beck, one of the best composers in Hollywood, who won Oscars and other prestigious awards for his work on high-budget projects. The director of the film left a good review about “Back to back” musical, because the composer even managed to constantly mix incongruous musical themes in compositions. Beck has already collaborated with Todd Phillips in the film "The Hangover", so without any difficulty once again created the musical accompaniment, only emphasizing the sharpness and ambiguity of the storyline.
Criticism
Feedback on the comedy "Back-to-back" has become the "bone of contention" in the community of American film critics. Some claimed that even the use of the “duet of opposites” in the cinema of our time is unworthy plagiarism, while others noted that even using the incredibly old scheme of attracting spectator attention, the director masterfully keeps the viewer not so much by the scheme as by the carefully prescribed characters' characters.
The heroes of the film are more than two opposites, brought together by circumstances, they are an indicator that all people are the same regardless of conditions. All of humanity reacts equally to certain life accidents, troubles, inconveniences, luck or worldly joys. In general, the feedback on the film “Back to End” was positive, the tape even received several prestigious awards from the American Film Academy, but was not nominated for an Oscar.
This circumstance did not upset the director, who was quite satisfied with the sincere reaction of the public. Also, many Phillips films stand the test of time perfectly, without needing separate awards and prizes.
Reviews "Back to back"
Often, for a simple viewer, the opinion of film critics does not play any role. Indeed, each person has his own personal rating of his favorite films, which often includes tapes that have not been awarded any awards at all.
The “Back-to-back” movie of 2010, which caused a lot of enthusiastic comments on the Web, was no exception. Thanks to the excellent selection of actors, pleasant music and highly social humor, the film was enjoyed by many lovers of good cinema. Also, the tape was appreciated by fans of Robert Downey Jr., who slightly moved away from his serious role and played a great comedic character. Many reviews of “Back to back” were also left by fans of Zach Halifianakis, who acted as the partner of Downey Jr. in the script of the film.