The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 crime comedy about a struggling dentist’s life who is turned upside down when a famous gangster moves in next door.
Walking the line between comedy and drama is not always easy, especially in a crime thriller, but somehow director Jonathan Lynn does it mostly well, juggling this wistful caper with some genuinely funny moments. It stars Matthew Perry as Nicholas, a dentist in an unhappy marriage with Sophie (Rosanna Arquette), who really can’t stand the likeable guy. Thing is, he’s stuck with her for financial reasons, and one day, at his office, he playful banters with his assistant Jill (Amanda Peet) about life without his wife, in the most unsubtle way possible. She jokingly says, name your price, however when he gets home, he finds he has a new neighbor, Jimmy ‘the tulip’ Tudeski (Bruce Willis), an infamous contract killer from Chicago on the run, and from there, mayhem ensues. A game cast really helps keep the tone and Perry is very funny as the straight man stuck in a problem that only gets worse. Pay attention to Peet though who steals the show.
THE LAST WORD
Easy and breezy, this mix of comedy and drama is a fun if not predictable night at the movies, great for some laughs and a slew of good performances. Can’t go wrong.
It is what it is, a simple comedy with some bits of drama that aren’t all that challenging, working only to be a serviceable bit of fun.