In the wild world of Hollywood, where big-name actors often collide in huge ensemble extravaganzas, there’s always a lurking danger. The risk? The overarching story gets sacrificed at the altar of substantial screen time for every big star who has been cast. Such pitfalls are the very essence of what makes the refusal of George Clooney to be in such a movie, now streaming on Netflix, a testament to his discerning taste.
Produced by Charles B. Wessler, directed by a mishmash of filmmakers including Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, and Elizabeth Banks, and written by a legion of scribes, Movie 43 is a sketch-comedy collage, heralded as the new millennium’s homage to classic anthology films like The Kentucky Fried Movie. But what a misfire it turned out to be!
As per Vulture, Clooney reportedly slammed the door shut on this project with an emphatic “no f***ing way.” Despite boasting an eye-popping cast including Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman, and many more A-listers, the film tanked spectacularly.
Sure, in the tumultuous landscape of showbiz, missteps are inevitable. Clooney himself isn’t immune, having weathered the storm that was Batman and Robin. But unlike the caped crusader debacle, he’s largely managed to steer clear of cinematic calamities.
Movie 43 is comprised of various interconnected short segments. Each segment presents a different story with its own set of characters, ranging from outrageous to darkly comedic and satirical. The film weaves together these vignettes, exploring themes of relationships, social taboos, and the absurdities of modern life. However, the overarching plot is loose, with the segments often standing alone as independent comedic sketches. Despite the ambitious concept, Movie 43 ultimately failed to resonate with audiences and critics alike, becoming widely regarded as a cinematic disaster.
But Clooney wasn’t the only one to see the iceberg looming in the distance. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were offered roles but wisely opted out. Collin Farrell, too, had the sense to back out after initially agreeing to appear.
However, for the sake of some good old fun, you can tune into Movie 43 on Netflix. After all, sometimes watching films that are so terrible that they are kind of good is a decent enough activity to disengage the mind. It is meditative even.
