Movie Reviews
The Great Buck Howard Delivers a Full Touch of Sentiment
By Michael Montroy |
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 The Great Buck Howard centers on an Amazing Kreskin-style mentalist played by John Malkovich. It is a behind-the-footlights comedy that serves as an amusing, and amazing, showcase for Malkovich's delicious prima donna theatrics in the title role.
The Great Buck Howard (Malkovich) is a mentalist--not a magician--who performs effects, not tricks. Famous for having appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" 61 times but never on Leno (a fact he constantly brings up), Buck represents a fading tradition of old-fashioned stage performers. He now travels to small cities across the country, performing his act mainly for seniors at remote auditoriums.
Along for the ride is Buck's new assistant, Troy (Colin Hanks), a law-school dropout looking for some life experience. He gets more than his fair share, thanks to his boss' irrational demands, unpredictable fits of temper and false sense of his own importance. Yet, Troy is also genuinely charmed by Buck and his act, which, though corny and quaint (hypnotism, guessing secret numbers, finding money hidden in the audience), never quite loses its how-did-he-do-that sense of wonder. And, at the end of the film, audiences will still be wondering, ‘How did he do that?’
 The movie builds upon its comic opening due to writer/director Sean McGinly’s timely pacing and clever dialogue, most of which is delivered by Malkovich before settling down in Cincinnati, where Howard is preparing for his big comeback. Naturally, he must weather all manner of setbacks and insults, which includes indifferent press coverage, a withering magazine piece, tacky, eager-to-please locals (Debra Monk, Steve Zahn) and mostly refusing to accept that he's become an obsolete "fossil," in the words of his previous assistant (Adam Scott, who disappears from the film far too early).
Joining the team in Cincinnati, and giving the film another jolt of energy, is whip-smart publicist Valerie (Emily Blunt), who promptly jumps into bed with Troy and refuses to massage Buck's delicate ego. Blunt's always welcome presence underscores her talent, which this production recognized long before she was cast in The Devil Wears Prada, which also dealt with a relationship between a monstrous tyrant and a much-put-upon young aide. However, with this film, the aide is a bit too forgiving in that Hanks, who is quite charming to watch, can't make Troy the strong contrast to Malkovich's scrumptious scene-stealing antics.
Tom Hanks makes brief and effective appearances as Troy's sternly disapproving dad, which was not written for the actual father-son team. Tom’s involvement with the film’s production as a producer, though, probably had something to do with the film’s parade of cameos, such as Martha Stewart, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa, Tom Arnold and “Star Trek’s” George Takei, who softly delivers the punch line to an unknown joke.
 The Great Buck Howard is a well-done production from beginning to end, and proves the point that casting is very crucial to a movie, as this project is perfectly cast with each and every role. McGinly does a wonderful job of blending the actors into their roles, and they deliver presentations that create a strongly bound unit. The quality production blends a strong Hollywood sheen with the nondescript locations where Buck presents his act. The charming opening credit sequence prepares the viewer's eyes for the coming charm that the film unfolds. Expect The Great Buck Howard to develop a cult following.
The Great Buck Howard is now playing in theaters and on HDNet Ultra VOD.
Visit The Great Buck Howard’s official Web site for more information.
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