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Due Date

Long OverdueBy John DeSando, "It's Movie Time," "Cinema Classics," and "On the Marquee"

The gratuitous gross outs of Hangover are present in Todd Phillips' newest comedy, Due Date, which takes a bizarre trip into the region of black and absurdist, but ever so gently and tangentially.

Robert Downey Jr's tense architect, Peter Highman, hitches a ride with Zach Galifianakis' clueless aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay in order to get to LA from Atlanta in time to witness the birth of Peter's first child. Along the way Peter endures Ethan's dense lovingness while Ethan takes crushing criticism from the uptight Peter.

Danny McBride and Juliette Lewis provide part of the eccentric cast that makes this picaresque one of the best comedies of the year. That distinction comes in part from a crisp, rapid fire dialogue to a Downey whose comic timing approaches perfection. Galifianakis plays a variation of his hug-a-bear persona perfected from Hangover and It's Kind of a Funny Story. It's just that Downey is a master of nuance, whose every twitch oozes character; Galifianakis can only hope for such range.

Each part of their journey illuminates Peter's flaws and seems to move him into a more loving attitude toward his partner, a staple of the modern bromance in which the men may actually say they love each other, a harmless affirmation of character development without danger of homosexuality.

Yet, as the film reaches its conclusion, I am uncertain about what has happened to Peter, if anything other than a manic trip, and what difference it all has made to Ethan (none that I can actually see?he's still happily clueless but working appropriately as an actor in a TV bromantic comedy about two men and a half of one).

The wanking baby of Hangover is ramped up to a self-pleasing pug, as bizarre as it sounds, and absurdist, but it is funny as dog imitates a master (Ethan) who pleasures himself to get to sleep. Director Phillips keeps the dark light, and in so doing gives us an enjoyable bromance to counterpoint a callous election time where there is little love or humor.

Due Date is long overdue this year.

John DeSando co-hosts It's Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee for WCBE 90.5. The shows can be heard streaming at http://publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/ppr/index.shtml and on demand at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/arts.artsmain Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.RR.com