The Grand…..a bit of fun, but overlong.

Yep, I’m a big fan of improv comedy. The Grand is full of this. I’m also a fan of David Cross, an under appreciated comedian who some may know from the HBO tv program, Mr Show, or as Tobias in another brilliant show, Arrested Development. He was the reason I took a punt, so to speak, on The Grand.

The Grand is a film about poker. It comes along at a time when poker seems to be the latest craze. It features a pretty crazy cast of actors. Check out these names: Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, Hank Azaria, Michael Mckean, Denis Farina, Richard Kind, Ray Romano and Jason Alexander…to name but a few. The characters are all fun to follow as we watch them compete to take out the big poker league championship in Las Vegas.

A film with alot of improv can be a hit and miss affair. The classics like Spinal Tap, Best in Show etc are great because they know when to stop. The Grand pushes our patience a bit too far with alot of needless scenes and some moments that are both pointless and unfunny.

There are good laughs to be had though. When they do come, they are big and worth waiting for.

An interesting side note is that apparently the final poker game is real, with even the filmmakers not knowing who was going to win until the final draw.

It’s all a bit of fun and well worth a watch if you like this kind of comedy.