Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Pierce Brosnan
A bit long - about two hours total, about twenty minutes longer than these kinds of film last - but a thoroughly pleasant and silly look at one of the most pleasantly silly subjects in existence.
For those not in the know - Eurovision is a kind of American Idol competition where every country in Europe sends an act to compete on live television and then viewers cast their votes for the best act. In typical international fashion, it’s a bunch of silly outfits and farcical pageantry that’s mostly countries playing up their own stereotypes to try to appeal to wider audiences. It’s great. I watched an act for it once that’s just a musical Muppet on a spinning DJ table asking for extra points so it can get to the next round. It’s the peak of international cultural exchange - so unworried about looking strong that it’s comfortable looking absolutely stupid.
So real-life contest aside, this is also surprisingly workable comedy. The premise is that a pair of lifelong Icelandic garage-banders (Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams) get a chance to compete in Eurovision and find themselves embroiled in its silly and show-offy world, where hilarity ensues. Along the way, they must compete with Alexander Lemtov (Dan Stevens), the Russian champion, and their own feelings towards each other. There are ABBA shout-outs, Sigur Ros shout-outs, and the friendly national showboating that’s made Eurovision famous. If you’ve watched any European music videos in the last forty years, there’ll be something you recognize.
It works very well. It’s far enough from Will Ferrell’s usual forte that it feels like actual acting, and his pairing with Rachel McAdams makes it a lot sweeter and warmer than his usual films. Combine that with the PG-13 rating and you end up with a genuinely sweet movie with the modicum of Will Ferrell irreverence, lots of silly outfits, and some pretty funny bits. The running gag with the elves is sure to get your laugh at some point. And all jokes aside, the music is genuinely great, the writers taking the time to make something genuinely moving.
Like I said, it’s not perfect. It’s a little long, like they messed up the pacing a little. And not all of its jokes will land right. But I like it better than near every Will Ferrell film I’ve seen (even Blades of Glory!), and at its core, it’s doing what Eurovision does, which is letting countries roast each other, but also affirm that we’re all the same, and isn’t that nice.
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