Known for his unique voice and ability to talk at an auctioneer's pace, Charlie Day's (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) feature directorial debut is not chock-full of fast-paced dialogue that audiences might expect from the actor. The film unceremoniously shatters those expectations in unfortunate ways, despite a few moments of directorial prowess that speak to Day's true depths as a creator. In desperate need of new clients, publicist Lenny (Ken Jeong) strikes gold when he stumbles upon Latte Pronto (Charlie Day), a mental patient with an undefined condition that renders him easily suggestable, emotionally regressive, and almost entirely unable to speak. Although largely confused by his surroundings, Latte's genuine presence and tendency to stare directly into camera make him an unexpected hit with audiences and critics, propelling him into overnight stardom. Day plays his character with a charming innocence reminiscent of classic silent comedians such as Charlie Chaplin. The film grows frustrating early on, as the plot meanders from one scene to the next without establishing any real conflict until close to the third act. Nonetheless, Day's performance alone keeps viewers in their seats for the sole purpose of seeing how he'll react to each new circumstance. Even when it seems as if Latte gets bustled from one scene to the next with no real autonomy, his quiet charisma partly makes up for the film's general lack of story and character development. The film does attempt to make up for Latte's lack of dialogue by surrounding him with big personalities. With the exception of Lenny, however, few of the film's characters leave a lasting impression beyond their final scenes. Adrien Brody plays against type as a recklessly aggressive alpha male, but he ultimately exits the story as unremarkably as he enters it. The same can be said of the rest of the movie's oddball characters. Despite a solid cast including Ray Liotta, Kate Beckinsale, Edie Falco, Jason Sudeikis, Common, and John Malkovich, their respective performances often feel underwhelming given the lack of palpable impact their characters have over the narrative. Malkovich's single monologue feels particularly out of place, and it's hard to justify its inclusion. Fans of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia will enjoy a host of cameo appearances throughout the film, but even these brief delights tend to feel relatively inconsequential. While the lack of plot and character development may cause the film to drag at times, Day at least makes up for this with his strong choices as a director. Everything from the cinematography to the instrumental accompaniment adds to the feeling of watching a silent film displaced from its own era. Despite a large number of tired script choices on the comedy side, the film's emotional beats ring strong simply for the manner in which they're shot and scored. Scenes of Latte wandering Los Angeles at night may feel inconsequential, but there's a quiet beauty to them reminiscent of old Italian cinema or American silent films. At the end of the day, viewers looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy won't get far with Fool's Paradise. The movie's ambition often stands in its own way, failing to effectively juxtapose its more ludicrous story beats with its scenes of objective beauty. However, those simply wishing to take in Charlie Day's surprisingly poignant directorial debut will at least enjoy the brief moments of skill he offers, even if an overwrought and largely story-free script render those moments few and far between.
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