"Uncle Nick" is not going to be everyone's favorite Yuletide flick. A whole lot of religiously minded adults are going to be apoplectic at this one. And a bunch of innocent young kids are going to have some intensely bad dreams if they're allowed to watch it. But if you're a genuine fan of intentionally dark comedy, clever dialogue, streaks of gross out humor, a handful of cringeworthy sex scenes, all tempered with a surprisingly sentimental undertone, you're going to absolutely love this movie.
"Uncle Nick" features the boldly visual comic domain of comedian Brian Posehn. The film's wince-producing tone comes out swinging with the burning image of a very portly Nick longing around in his underwear. It's not a pretty look. And right when you begin to think this is going to be a debacle of vaudeville sight gags, in a more temperate tone, Posehn begins a voiceover targeting "The mistake by the lake," Cleveland, and from there it steadily escalates into the actual true story of the bloody fan riot during a Cleveland Indians baseball game. See? That's it. But not all of it.
Uncle Nick speaks to the stark misery some people feel during the holidays, the unspoken taboo of silently hating other family members, and what happens when you're so drunk at Christmas there is no going back except to keep drinking.
I enjoy this film for what it is: A very entertaining comedic look at ourselves during the most stressful time of the year, Christmas.
