Film Review: ‘The Problem with People’ Amusingly Pairs Colm Meaney and Paul Reiser for a Charming Buddy Comedy

Put the right pairing of actors together and I’ll watch them do just about anything. For a buddy comedy especially, it’s all about chemistry. In the case of The Problem with People, it’s Paul Reiser being paired with Colm Meaney, so you have two very charming actors getting to play off of each other. The result is a very enjoyable film that never asks too much of you while providing exactly what you’d expect out of it.

The Problem with People is an old-fashioned buddy comedy, to be sure, but it works so well you’ll be laughing regardless. The movie gives you two talented actors in a showcase they all too infrequently have received previously. That doesn’t make the flick a novelty, but a reminder that Meaney and Reiser are talents who should be in demand. Their work here is so much fun, from start to finish.

When Ciáran (Meaney) is asked by his dying father to contact his long-lost New York cousin Barry (Reiser), he’s not sure exactly what the reason is. It turns out, his father wants them to reconcile a family dispute that has divided the clan for generations. This issue has split them between Ireland and the United States, but that’s about to change.

Barry is initially puzzled by Ciáran’s call, and the latter doesn’t expect the former to give it a second thought. However, after talking to his daughter (Jane Levy), Barry opts to head from New York to Ireland. There, the pair begin to bond, with the whole town very pleased by everything. The family feud appears over. Of course, it won’t be that easy, and before the you know it, the pair are going at it, just like their ancestors.

Paul Reiser and Colm Meaney have wonderful chemistry together, so it’s a hoot to watch them throughout. Meaney gets to go a bit bigger, befitting his more volatile character, but it’s still charming and funny work. Reiser gets one of his best showcases to date, always showcasing his comic chops, but with a pathos here that I found affecting. Plus, he can sell a joke like few others, which we see on more than one occasion here. The supporting cast, in addition to a mostly underserved Jane Levy, includes Lucianne McEvoy, but it’s about Meaney and Reiser here.

Director Chris Cottam sure makes Ireland look pretty, while never getting in the way of the screenplay by Wally Marzano-Lesnevich and Paul Reiser himself. Cottam could stand to pace things a bit tighter, but he’s aware that Meaney and Reiser are giving him gold. The script sets them up well, but the actors really knock the pins down. The more the direction and the writing focuses on that, as opposed to the admittedly pretty thin plot in The Problem with People, the better things are.

The Problem with People really amused me. The movie doesn’t necessarily tread any new ground, but watching this sort of picture with Meaney and Reiser at the helm is a pleasure. Both men are rarely given lead roles, so they embrace it wholeheartedly. The flick has a big heart, some solid laughs, and two very nice performances at its core. What more do you want?

SCORE: ★★★