Identity Thief

Did you know that Jason Bateman stars with 2 Swedish actors in Disconnect ? Yes, it is true. You can see both Michael Nykvist and Alexander Skarsgård in this thriller, great to see Swedish actors get more space in fresh movies. Usually i enjoy Jason Bateman in comedies, remember the hillarious The Change-Up and Horrible Bosses ? He can take on different characters, and make them fit right in the storyline, with his own way of acting. With Identity Thief, Jason Bateman works together again with director Seth Gordon, who directed Horrible Bosses. Considering that they worked so well together last time, is the magic still there, or is this just another comedy easy to forget ?

Diana ( Melissa McCarthy ) steal other peoples identites, and take their money, using different credit cards. Every day seems like a big party, until she gets arrested. Before she is arrested, she manage to get personal information of Sandy Patterson ( Jason Bateman ), and find another victim to take money from. Sandy have no idea what is about to happen, so he continue his ordinary life. Until he gets a call from Florida, about an appointment at a hair salon. The problem is, Sandy does not even live close to Florida, so he is very confused. While at work, his co-worker Daniel Casey ( John Cho ) wants to talk to him in the garage. Sandy finds out Daniel is starting their own firm, and want Sandy to join them, he agrees. But suddenly, all hell breaks loose. Sandy´s card is declined, no money left. Police contact Sandy, with information of who took all his money, but there is a problem. They can´t arrest the woman guilty named Diana, because she needs to be in Denver, to get arrested. Sandy come up with an idea, what if he could transport Diana on his own from Florida to Denver ? Police agree with the idea. Sandy go out on a road trip to bring Diana to Denver, to make sure she gets convicted. But what Sandy does not know, is that this road trip is not going to be that easy.

Have you seen the classic action comedy Midnight Run with Robert De Niro ? If you have, you will recognize yourself. Identity Thief looks almost like a updated version of this classic motion picture, but this is not as good as Midnight Run. Still, if you enjoy vulgar humour, and pretty good acting on this bounty hunter ride, you are in for a treat. Melissa McCarthy finds a way to do her character Diana, to show us how tragic it is, when you are desperate to find friends, and the only way to get them is to steal money and lie. So deep within all the comedy, there is a tragedy beneath, and that´s one of the reason this story works well. Melissa McCarthy shows that women with curves can deliver comedy, and that is great. What about Jason Bateman ? He plays pretty stiff at some moments, but considering his job it fits the character. One of my personal favourite scenes is when Big Chuck is invited, in a hotel room for sex. He really is big, but not in the way you would think. Identity Thief is a popcorn treat for those who enjoys a comedy, without glamour and champagne. Not the best work from director Seth Gordon, but still enjoyable enough to check out.

Rating: DDD