Irishman Ciáran (Colm Meaney) honours the wish of his dying father and makes contact with his American cousin Barry (Paul Reiser), whom he’s never met. Ciáran invites Barry to visit Ireland so they can properly meet, and after working through his initial reservations Barry agrees. On arrival Barry is greeted warmly but when Ciáran’s father dies and his will reveals that Barry has been left half of his money, tensions begin to boil over. As the two relatives go to battle, can they put aside their differences and make peace?
‘The Problem With People’ is a classic tale of long-lost family reuniting with the best of intentions before everything turns sour and chaotic. Director Chris Cottam has assembled two gifted comedy actors – Colm Meaney and Paul Reiser – to lead the film so it should be a laugh-out-loud enjoyable watch right? While the premise of the film is set-up nicely, with Barry leaving behind hustling city of New York for the rural pastures of Ireland, the script (co-written by Reiser), leans into far too many stereotypes about the Irish. You can tell the screenplay was written by Americans, and not native Irish folk.
It's clear from the outset that Ciáran and Barry’s relationship isn’t going to go smoothly, despite the best efforts of Fiona (Lucianne McEvoy) who tries to play peacekeeper. As soon as Ciáran’s father passes away, the gloves come off but the fight between the pair never elevates beyond occasional slapstick. The emotional undertone of the film isn’t fully realised and there’s little exploration of familial bonds.
The biggest problem with ‘The Problem With People’ is that it’s all a bit cliched and dull. The characters are never truly fleshed out enough for you to care about them, and while we do see Barry’s daughter occasionally, we don’t really learn all that much about his life. You can predict where the plot is going to go from one moment to the next, and the laughs are muted at best. The film fails to really mine its emotional core but it never truly embraces its comedic side either. That leaves viewers flailing somewhere in the middle.
There is nothing wrong with the performances of Colm Meaney and Paul Reiser. Both actors are well-respected for a reason and they spar with one another nicely onscreen. The script could have given their characters a much more rounded feel but the actors do the best they can with the material. If you like either actor, you’ll likely stick out the film to the end but if you’re not fussed, it’ll add to your overall ‘meh’ feeling as the film progresses.
‘The Problem With People’ has a good premise but it’s not executed in a particularly original or engaging way. Your tolerance for Irish stereotypes will determine how much you enjoy the film. With an uneven tone between drama and comedy, the film never truly finds its feet and that’s a real shame. With two great actors leading, this should have been a homerun but instead it’s just an average film that leaves the viewer underwhelmed.
Cast: Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Jane Levy, Lucianne McEvoy Director: Chris Cottam Writers: Wally Marzano-Lesnevich & Paul Reiser Certificate: 15 Duration: 101 mins Released by: Kaleidoscope Entertainment
