Envy

Had ‘School of Rock’ not made Jack Black so bankable, this comedy would surely have gone straight to video – which is where it belongs. Black is Nick, a dreamer who gets rich inventing the Vapoorizer, a spray that makes dog muck disappear. Best friend and neighbour Tim (Stiller) is gripped with jealousy and, spurred on by an eccentric drifter (Walken) he meets in a bar, aims to sabotage Nick – but ends up accidentally killing his horse. Elaborate cover-ups follow, during which saintly Nick drifts around in satin dressing gowns, lavishing his friend with gifts and even a part in the business. Meanwhile, his wife’s political aspirations are being scuppered by the public’s pressing question about Vapoorizer: ‘Where does the shit go?’ It’s a laboured plot, rendered no more credible by one-dimensional characters. There are laughs and the film’s not so bad that it’s painful. It’s just directionless and not funny enough to compensate. Bet Black wishes he could make this disappear.