The Darwin Awards (2005)

Think of The Darwin Awards as X-Files and Punk'd meet Being John Malkovich. It's not as funny as Fargo or Groundhog Day but it's better than Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys. Joseph Fiennes is too softspoken half the time but he and Winona Ryder feel comfortable in their roles. Blame the director for the tepid acting and editing but kudos to scriptwriting and casting for the droll humorous vignettes, esp. the poetry references and Lawrence Ferlinghetti cameo. The plot isn't too inspiring: Prissy top police profiler, disgraced and seeking employment, is paired with a jaded insurance adjuster. The more he becomes preoccupied with Darwin Award "winners," the more he risks (and imagines himself) making similar lethally stupid mistakes. The "documentary photographer" gets some funny lines from behind the camera. Don't miss the Mythbusters guys, who sell a jet engine to a doomed would-be racecar driver, and Josh Charles from Sports Night as a paramedic. 3.5 stars.