Dirty Work - Film Review Friday
Once in a while, I do a YouTube binge on a particular figure. I find it happens spontaneously; one night I just feel like delving into an artist’s work and sometimes it won’t even matter whether I’m a fan (that’s certainly the case for Andy Dick). The figure I mostly do this with is Chris Farley; I begin with ‘Bobby Watches Grandma’ and finish with Bob Odenkirk’s heartbreaking interview with Howard Stern or Adam Sandler’s tribute song. This time, however, I felt I needed a bit of Norm Macdonald, so I played his appearances on Conan, his time on Howard Stern and finished with Anthony Jeselnik’s reaction to his passing. It’s been an emotional one, for sure, but it made me re-evaluate a film I would otherwise have taken or left: ‘Dirty Work’.
‘Dirty Work’ follows Mitch Weaver, a loser who gets fired, dumped and then strangled by his best friend’s elderly father, Pops. Through it all, he never goes against his mantra: never take crap from anyone. When Pops needs $50,000 for a heart transplant, Mitch gets the opportunity to make money off of his mantra and opens a revenge-for-hire business. Business booms as he screws over any and everybody, but when that includes entrepreneur Travis Cole, Mitch has to go all in before Travis ruins his reputation, as well as the chance to save Pops’ life.
When I first watched ‘Dirty Work’, it would have just been another Letterboxd log before getting on with my day. After all these years, though, listening and watching as these comedians wreak havoc on SNL and late-night talk shows, I’ve learned to appreciate the punchlines deeply. Every pause, every little look Norm gives is part of an uneasy orchestra of humour, designed not only to keep you off guard but convince you he is too!
Of course, the foundation of the film is the mischief, and there are plenty of pranks to get you chuckling. My personal favourite is when Norm tries to promote the business by hijacking a live commercial for a car dealership. What does he do? Well, he hires prostitutes to look dead and hide in the trunks and reveals them to the cameras! “Oh my goodness! I've never seen so many dead hookers in all my life!” Or if you prefer something cleaner, there’s always the scene in which Norm sneaks into the circus and shaves the bearded lady (played by Rebecca Romijn).
Norm Macdonald takes the role of Mitch and, in doing so, gives the audience exactly what they want. I find it a little redundant when comedians get their own feature film and don’t name the character after themselves. It’s their film, it’s their comedy style, no one else can play the character, just call the character ‘Norm’. It’s the same, hilarious, nonchalant, deadpan, tone-deaf Norm Macdonald, but with a bit of conniving wit added in. It might have been a bit unfair to do so as co-writer of the screenplay, but he easily steals the best lines of the film. Whenever I think of this film, I can’t help but hear “I could’ve got my nose bit off by a Saigon whore!”
Jack Warden plays Pops and snags the 2nd best performance of the film. A gruff, no-fucks-given, perverted elderly man who can still kick your ass if you piss him off, Pops is a perfect character for Warden. He compliments every cue, every strangle and every line with a Rodney Dangerfield-style voice. His best line would certainly have to be “Back then, we didn’t have these fancy birth-control methods, like pulling out!”
Christopher McDonald plays Travis Cole. Really, who else would you have picked? McDonald was, and still is, the man for a comedy villain, strutting a pompous attitude with that smug smirk carved into his face. While he doesn’t have as iconic lines as “I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast” here, he still delivers a brilliant comic performance, especially as he strokes his chihuahua. Maybe a bit too much.
I believe a lot of the film’s quality lies in the cameos. Don Rickles portrays Hamilton, a theatre manager, which is a great excuse to hear some classic insults from a verified roast master. David Koechner plays Anton Phillips, an abusive car dealer who becomes Weaver’s second victim. Koechner rarely ever fails, he always portrays a perfect balance of insecurity and pent-up rage. Lastly, Chris Farley makes an appearance as Jimmy No-Nose in a few scenes, but still creates a memorable performance. This was Farley’s final film appearance, released posthumously, and what a line to end his career on. “Oh! You bit my new nose off! Damn it!”
I believe ‘Dirty Work’ is a criminally underrated comedy and highlights what made Norm one of the greatest and most unique comedians of all time. Sure, it’s a short movie, but it matches the same standards as any other comedy of the era. ‘Billy Madison’, ‘Austin Powers’, ‘Ace Ventura’ – if you loved any of these, I guarantee you’ll love ‘Dirty Work’.
Mason’s Top 3 Reasons to Watch ‘Dirty Work’
- It’s free right now on YouTube!
- A long roster of some of the best comedians to ever live!
- Hysterical lines of dialogue like, “A-ha! You didn’t count on my army of loyal prostitutes”
