‘Pineapple Express’ wanders off track

In theaters

THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. Directed by David Gordon Green, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, 104 minutes, rated R.

For the stoner, there are some important messages to glean from the new comedy “The Pineapple Express,” so for those who do partake of the bud, step away from the bong, drop the papers, get out the Visine and pay attention.

That is, of course, assuming the ability to focus right now is possible.

First up is the film’s broader message – smoking pot isn’t good for you. No surprise there. Second, because the substance is, after all, illegal, there are ramifications to chasing it down and becoming addicted to it which can lead to all sorts of havoc. It’s the latter that is the movie’s main focus, with the film’s characters either busy creating chaos or trying to avoid it. Usually both.

From Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s script, director David Gorgon Green has made a film that’s “Cheech and Chong” crossed with an action movie crossed with the typical brand of loopy, male-bonding humor for which producer Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” “40-Year-Old Virgin”) is known.

That’s a lot to toss into one pot (pun intended), and in this case, the result is an occasionally funny film laced with likable characters and unseemly villains.

The downside, though, is considerable. It goes beyond the fact that the movie doesn’t have the nerve to fully embrace the counterculture it promotes, which would have made for a more memorable, daring experience, but that it falls apart toward the end when the story launches into its disappointing third act. There, amid all the gun-toting action, the chase scenes and the explosions, the laughs fizzle as the characters fight for their lives.

The plot is slight: Life goes sour for Dale Denton (Rogen) and his dealer friend Saul Silver (James Franco) when Dale accidentally sees drug lord Ted Jones (Gary Cole) shoot a man dead while a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez) watches it go down.

Because Dale is too stoned to function, he draws attention to himself when he tries to escape. And when that happens, Jones and his gang become determined to keep Dale quiet by killing him and those close to him, including Saul, their frenemy Red (Danny McBride), Seth’s high school girlfriend Angie (Amber Heard), and her parents (Ed Begley Jr. and Nora Dunn). That’s it.

The standout here is Franco, who successfully plays so far against type, more comedies likely will be coming his way. His chemistry with Rogen is just as easy and as believable as it was when they starred opposite each other in the television show “Freaks and Geeks.” Turns out that’s good for “Express” because otherwise, without them in it, this “Pineapple” would have gone up in smoke sooner than it does.

Grade: C+

On DVD

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY. Directed by Bharat Nalluri, written by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy, 92 minutes, rated PG-13.

The first part of “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” is so irritatingly irrepressible, there’s every indication that its main character, a failed governess named Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), might be found dead from exhaustion by the end of the it – right along with the rest of the characters.

Pressed to capture the tone of screwball farce, all involved goes out of their way to do so, straining the movie’s seams in ways that can be off-putting in the face of such excess.

And then there’s a shift.

Eventually, the movie settles into itself. The over-the-top energy director Bharat Nalluri favors is dropped several notches. Characters come into their own. The film never shakes the formula it courts, but it does become more enjoyable as it unfolds.

Set on the eve of war in 1939 London, the film follows Pettigrew, a disheveled, out-of-work mess whose luck appears to have run dry until the day she meets Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), an American singer and wannabe actress who is busy juggling the affections of three men in an attempt to climb to the top.

First up is well-connected Phil (Tom Payne), second is rich Nick (Mark Strong), and third is her boyfriend, Michael (Lee Pace), a struggling pianist whose love for Delysia in genuine. Trouble is, Delysia is such a cheerful little climber, she doesn’t believe that love is what she needs at this point in her life. Certainly it isn’t as important as the critical and financial success she craves.

Enter Miss Pettigrew, a moral force who knew love once and lost it. She’s so desperate for a job, she wedges herself into Delysia’s life as her social secretary and then becomes her unwitting guide to what matters in life. Over the course of one day, the two change each other profoundly.

Adams is very good here, somehow making Delysia likable in spite of her willingness to repeatedly hurt Michael. As for McDormand, it’s through her nuanced performance – and her romance with a wealthy lingerie designer (Ciaran Hinds) – that Nalluri strikes his best observations about the meaning of love and friendship in middle age. At the end, when she’s called upon to touch you with the truth, she’s at her best, stepping outside the film’s limitations and creating a better movie in the process.

Grade: B-

WeekinRewind.com is the site for Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s blog, video podcasts, iTunes portal and archive of movie reviews. Smith’s reviews appear Mondays, Fridays and weekends in Lifestyle, as well as on

bangordailynews.com. He may be reached at Christopher@

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