A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011) Review

There are some films where you can clearly detect the studio production meetings in the finished product. “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” is such a movie. Originally intended as a vehicle for Vince Vaughan, leading man duties eventually fell to Jason Sudeikis. Arguably, that could be considered an improvement but with the rest of the cast, it’s clearly been a case of: ‘can we get…? No? Okay, get me the next best thing’. So, instead of, say, Jack Black, they got Tyler Labine. Not that the cast are terrible, in fact they’re all pretty good but the lack of star names undermines this comedy and it ends up feeling a little bit B-list.

Underachieving slacker Eric (Sudeikis) lives for partying at his father’s Hamptons holiday home but when his Father (Don Johnson – still looking for that comeback role) decides to put the house up for sale, Eric decides to hold his most audacious party ever: a good, old-fashioned orgy.

Despite the salacious title, this is actually quite a modest comic romp, similar in tone and execution to the sitcom “Friends”. Sudeikis is a charming lead and although he’s been saddled with being Jack Black lite, Tyler Labine delivers the comedy goods as Eric’s best friend and sidekick Mike. The rest of Eric’s friends are an engaging bunch, with Lake Bell particularly standing out and Leslie Bibb plays realtor Kelly, Eric’s would-be love interest.

The various shenanigans play out like a thirty-something “American Pie”. There are a few genuine laugh out loud moments and a couple of eminently quotable lines (‘My breath is natural – unlike your vagina!’) but it’s a far cry from the bawdy sex comedies of the 1970’s and ’80’s.

The cast have good chemistry, particularly Sudeikis and Bibb and it’s a decent if unspectacular ensemble comedy with a risqué and irreverent attitude. It’s a nice enough way to pass an hour and a half but it’s not going to force its way onto your must-see list anytime soon.

6/10