Matthew Perry really is a funny guy. You just wouldn't know it by watching any of his movies.
One of the best of the cast members in the popular TV sitcom "Friends," Perry has made a secondary career of picking film projects that don't really serve his talents. (And with the exception of "The Whole Nine Yards," easily the best of his many movie mediocrities, they've all pretty much flopped at the box office.)
"Serving Sara" may be the worst thing he's been involved with yet. The film's multiple delays in release, the rumored re-shoots and other production problems probably should have been a tip-off. But neither they nor the lame movie trailers and ads really hinted at just how bad — and off-putting in its crudeness — the film really is.
For those who care, the title refers to Sara Moore (Elizabeth Hurley), the "trophy wife" of Texas millionaire Gordon Moore (Bruce Campbell). He's found himself a new sweetheart, so he's looking to divorce Sara as quickly as possible.
The unlucky guy who's supposed to serve her with the papers is Joe Tyler (Perry), a New Yorker on a lengthy losing streak. But when he does serve Sara, she offers him a proposition: Since she might get a more favorable settlement if she files for divorce first, she'll pay Joe to serve her soon-to-be-ex instead.
That's not as easy as it sounds, as Gordon doesn't want to be found, and Joe has a rival process server (Vincent Pastore, from pay cable's "The Sopranos') on his trail.
What few laughs there are come through a nearly Herculean effort by Perry, who seems to be the only one who's really trying. Even director Reginald Hudlin seems to be phoning this one in (the pacing is slack and scenes dawdle long after punchlines are delivered).
Hurley's certainly no help, while co-stars Campbell, Pastore and comedian Cedric the Entertainer look as if they're trying to find an exit.
"Serving Sara" is rated PG-13 for crude humor involving sexual and bodily functions (of both humans and animals), violence (beatings and some vehicular mayhem), occasional use of strong profanity and ethnic slurs, brief partial female nudity and glimpses of nude artwork and a brief scene of torture (done for laughs). Running time: 100 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com