John Malkovich is one of AHFW’s favorite actors, even though his characters wouldn’t be our BFFs. For example, John has played a criminal mastermind (“Con Air” (1997)), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (“Mary Reilly” (1996)), an assassin (“In the Line of Fire” (1993)), and many other on-screen oddities.
In 2008’s “The Great Buck Howard”, however, he plays a decent fellow, a magician of sorts, but he’s not without his quirks. A lot of them.
AHFW’s Movie of the Week is the fun family comedy “The Great Buck Howard”, and we think that this film will leave you with warm thoughts of Buck Howard…and of course, John Malkovich too!
“The Great Buck Howard” (2008) – “I love this town!” These are the genuine words declared during each show by the traveling performing mentalist: the one, the only…The Great Buck Howard (Malkovich) in writer/director Sean McGinly’s wonderful comic gem. McGinly’s picture offers a sincere PG-rated atmosphere that feels like storytelling from a past era, as Howard hires a young assistant named Troy (Colin Hanks) to travel the country with him and perform scores of thankless jobs. A public relations manager (Emily Blunt) softens Troy’s bumpy ride, but Howard’s OCD-rituals, enthusiastic handshake and abrasive persona never quite smooth out the young man’s journey. A surprise A-list cameo makes a welcome appearance, and Buck Howard – with all his quirks – is one of Malkovich’s most memorable characters. Yea, there’s a good chance that you will say, “I love this movie!”
⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures; Trailer credits: Movie Predictor
