Game Night (dir. John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein)

I’m not exactly sure if “Game Night” is actually a real thing in modern society; a specific day of the week where couples of contrasting backgrounds gather at an abode and lament the highs and lows of 21st century life whilst simultaneously playing dictionary and card games. But that’s the great thing about cinema - it doesn’t need to stem from reality to work on the big screen, and in the case of the aforementioned comedy film, from directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it’s a winner from the offset.

This self-aware comedy manages to subvert the usual instant derision from February schlock and manages to -with the help of an expertly timed cast -deliver a joyously mad and exhilaratingly amusing romp with enough gags to keep you rolling in the aisles.

On paper, Daley and Goldstein’s high-concept farce shouldn’t work. But here’s the thing, it does work - and if you should mark a comedies successfulness on whether it makes you laugh or not, this win passes go and collects a whole load of cash on it’s way. Perhaps my greatest worry before our madcap tale began was my feelings toward’s last year's misstep “The House”, comparable in a variety of different reasons. That outfit attempted to satirize suburban life in America and constantly ridicule it before it became to much to handle. That Will Ferrell vehicle failed in it’s writing, with too much emphasis on overdone gags and unintentional self-parody. In the case of Game Night, which is written by the fairly inexperienced screenwriter Mark Perez (Accepted ), theres an abundance of zingy one liners, well orchestrated slapstick, neatly woven character arcs and most importantly, laugh out loud comedy set pieces, to distance itself from the usual comedy-bilge filling out theaters on a weekly basis.

Opening full-steam ahead with a gloriously well-pitched meeting sequence - soulmates Annie (Rachel McAdams) and Max (Jason Bateman) bond over the metal admiration for quiz games. Fast forward a few years, after a romance predicated on a mutual competitiveness toward parlor games, our lovers welcome local friends over or the usual weekly game night. Fitting the bill are high-school sweethearts Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury), womanizer Ryan (Billy Magnusson) and his Irish date Sarah (Sharon Horgan). But it’s not all wine and roses for our lead duo, an early meeting with a fertility doctor spells trouble for the winners, as Max’s low mobility-sperm is causing fertility issues for the pair; diagnosed to be psychological due to stress resolving around repressed feelings of jealousy towards his soon-to-return brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler), his much better looking and more successful sibling.

Things get a lot worse for Max when his latest Game Night is disturbed by the presence of said brother, in town to “meet with clients” in his profitable investment banker job. Ever the competitor, Brooks’ unannounced visit spells further trouble for the gang when he proposes a further game night at his place, but with the rules turned up a notch: a murder mystery night where an expensive car is the grand prize. Unbeknownst to all those involved however, Brooks is actually kidnapped for real by ruffians and it’s up to our gang of cohorts to realize this and than find Max’s brother before all hell breaks loose.

What’s most appealing about Game Night -other than the flat out comedy that works -is the individual characterization. Whether it’s Michelle and Kevin squabbling over an unintentionally spilled home-truth about an amorous encounter with a celebrity, or even Ryan and Sarah’s expedition in dealing with their confused romantic feelings - even if there’s an awful lot on screen to deal with- all of it is handled efficiently and brought to you with an delightful amount of witty resonance. Bateman and McAdams have great chemistry also, not only do we sympathize with them due to their difficulties in conceiving, but their comedic timing is second to none: an especially brilliant scene, in which Annie is attempting to administer first aid to her husband, is a perfect example of their ability to work off each other to get the belly laughs. But the credit for stealing the show must go to Jesse Plemons - our neighboring cop Gary, who was ostracized from the gaming contingent due to his recent change in marital status (they preferred his ex-wife and only invited him to be polite) - now a broken shell of a man: constantly enquiring about his neighbors social occasions and doing so with some deliciously ripe dialogue. The awkwardness that Plemons brings to the role could have wandered into dangerously deep waters and come out as an unsympathetic nosey neighbor wanting to spoil everybody’s fun, but yet again we have the well written script to thank for this. His presence is nothing short of hilarious and a sequence where he answers the door before walking backwards as a method of invitation is one of many examples of the actors comedic versatility.

As is the case with the action-comedy genre, our final third's descent into the usual amalgamation of car-chases and the bland shoot-em up fare which is the staple for the genre is less than engaging and feels applicable to only those who don't get the jokes too well. Add into the mix the unravelling of plot twists and character secrets - which are difficult to follow - it wavers perilously close to falling apart. But thankfully for those involved, the laughs never subsided; cameo turns from Michael C. Hall, Jefferey Wright and Danny Huston are on-screen for long enough to gather the odd chuckle and on-more than several occasions I found myself laughing out loud, in an egregiously inappropriate fashion. For an American comedy with a high-concept idea, that's so self-aware and arrogant enough to ram jokes at us non-stop, you might just find yourself running to your entertainment cupboard and brushing off your underused monopoly set: the game is well and truly afoot.

Rating 3/5