Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7915 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-16
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Synopsis
Charlie Wood (David Schwimmer, FRIENDS) is an unemployed teacher who is forced to seek work at a call centre in order to provide for his family, which consists of his policewoman wife and a young daughter. After being fired for insulting a customer he thought had been kept on hold, call centre employee Gus Dickinson (Simon Pegg, SHAUN OF THE DEAD) proposes a blackmailing scheme. A priest has turned up on a database of people who have accessed illegal porn sites and Gus suggests that they ask him for a large sum of money to buy their silence. When Gus’ former girlfriend Josie McBroom (Alice Eve, STARTER FOR TEN) gets wind of the scheme, the trio embark on their plan. However, things don’t go exactly the way they envisioned and problems soon start mounting up. Set mostly in the chilly night of Oregon and shot in Wales, the Isle of Man, and British Columbia, BIG NOTHING is a black comedy heist film. Jean-Baptiste Andrea (DEAD END) has crafted a sharp, funny, and smart film that makes full use of its charismatic actors. Despite its inevitable comparisons with FARGO, BIG NOTHING manages to be both inventive and witty.

Customer Reviews

Big Something
'Big Nothing' begins when hard-up Charile (David Schwimmer) begins working at an I.T. call-centre where he meets Gus (Simon Pegg). Gus has a plan to make some quick cash by blackmailing a reverand who has been frequently visiting illegal websites. All seems easy enough until the plan goes completely wrong resulting multiple murders and no-one really appears to be who they seem. It also doesn't help that Charile's wife is the sherriff of the local police force and there is a serial killer on the loose.

With more twists than Chubby Checker in a hurricane, this black comedy is absolutely hilarious with excellent performances from both Schwimmer and Pegg. Pegg's American accent is a bit of a surprise at first but he does pull it off extremely well, as well as his nutter Gus character, which is not much like his characters in other films I've seen him in recently. It's hard not to find many similarities with Schwimmer's character to his Ross character from Friends as he has his usual nerdy statistics and facts being thrown about unnecessarily (although it does get explained) and his general geekiness throughout.

Overall this is a surprisingly good comedy/thriller that should have you both laughing and guessing all the way through. The story is very tense and filled with suspense and although this isn't perhaps as good as Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, it is a brilliant comedy that is definitely worth a watch.

Worth watching
Husband-of-cop, PhD-toting, statistic-quoting Charlie (David Schwimmer) is forced into a dead-end telephone helpline job to put bread on the table for wife Penelope (Natascha McElhone) and young baby. At the call centre he meets Gus (Simon Pegg), who brings him in on his criminal plan to blackmail a local porn-loving reverend.

The ensuing crime caper is a dizzying barrage of twists-in-the-tale and wildfire plot devices. Big Nothing is a film that is a little too clever for its own good - as if the writers wanted to cram in as many switches in scenario as possible. Some are brilliantly and hilariously delivered; some are a little hard to swallow. Big Nothing will certainly keep you on your toes, so you'll need to keep your wits about you.

Simon Pegg is, as always, excellent. I'll leave it to our chums across the pond to judge whether his American accent passed muster, but I've yet to see him disappoint in any film. His unexpected pairing with David Schwimmer was inspired. However, whilst Pegg's character was a million miles from Spaced's Tim Bisley and zombie-botherer Shaun, Schwimmer struggled to break away from trademark Ross Gellerisms. Their third partner in crime is toothsome beauty Alice Eve, who turns in a spirited performance.

I'm torn between a generous four stars and a mean three. But then, compare Big Nothing to Pegg's recent triumph, Hot Fuzz, and the choice pretty much makes itself.

Not very much
In view of the cast and their previous performances I think I was expecting a good dark comedy full of big jokes and non stop laughter.
Unfortunately this movie is something else.
There is a bit of comedy in this movie but is certainly not very subtle ( Spaced fans are likely to be disappointed ).I was not very impressed with the direction as a similar plot (branch of low lives trying to hit it big and get some cash )has been attempted before ( welcome to Collingwood ) with much better results.
Simon Pegg does an American accent which does not sound very nice and David Schwimmer performance is rather wooden , the best characters in the movie are Alice Eve and Natasha McElhone.
In summary consider it for a rental but do not expect very much.