Review: Everything Must Go

I love Will Ferrell.  I can unashamedly admit this.  So when I saw he was doing a film a little different from his normal roles, I had to jump on it.  Ferrell is a great actor when he wants to be, his work in Stranger Then Fiction as one example.

Everything Must Go begins with the worst day in Nick Halsey's life.  He gets fired from his job of 16 years after one too many screw ups, many related to his alcoholism.  He returns home to find all his possessions strewn about his front lawn.  He tries to get inside his home, only to find every lock and key code changed.  By state law, he is able to stay on this lawn for up to 5 days.  Nick is forced to hold a pseudo yard sale, while he figures out what to do next in his life.

Likes - Everything Must Go is not at all the comedy I was expecting.  I will be up front about that now.  Still, I enjoyed this film.  As I've stated before, expectations of a film can greatly effect the viewing experience.
Back to the point, this film was good but not great.  There was a subtlety in the story that was present throughout most of the film.  This is key because it makes the outbursts seem so much more real and extreme.  We really feel the frustration in Nick just boil over into a sheath of absolute helplessness.  Will Ferrell is great and it's really nice seeing him really act, as opposed to acting out like a child.
This story isn't new - a man, down on his luck, looks for a way back to his humanity and dignity.  What this film set out to do, it did well.  Everything Must Go was a real 'slice of life' pice done right.   The movie wasn't innovative by any means and it might even be forgettable to some, but it made you real feel something.  A great effort was made to develop the relationship between Nick and his various neighbors, each one trying to help Nick out in their own capacity.  Kenny, Samantha, and Frank each show a unique side of Nick, creating a multi-dimensional image of this man, instead of a paper thin perception from just one person.

Dislikes - For this film there was nothing in particular I disliked.

Overall - I enjoyed this film.  It was nice seeing Nick find his way back, even after a plot twist really puts the pressure on.  It was also a pleasure seeing Ferrell play a role that requires some restraint and talent.  I give Everything Must Go 4 out of 5 stars.