DVD Review: Bill Hader Kills It As Hitman-Turned-Actor In HBO’s “Barry”

[usr 5]
 

A hitman from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.

I was hesitant to watch “Barry.” The thought of having to watch another show created by and starring another comedian produced a sense of dread that was somewhat unfounded as I’ve enjoyed the likes of HBO’s “Crashing” and others like it. I guess although I’ve enjoyed these shows, it’s always been more in the vein that I’ve liked them because they were harmless and easy to forget, they didn’t clog my brain with unnecessary lasting images or phrases. But for those same reasons, I felt they were a waste of time. What’s the point of creating a show that doesn’t leave the slightest bits of “impact residue?” Bill Hader avoids this problem. He wins. “Barry” has meat and grit and plenty of absurdity. It’s a comedy of errors golden shit-show and I loved it.

Bill Hader was born to have a face. And as ridiculous as that statement sounds, I mean it. He uses his face to its fullest potential. His expressions can be beyond this world, but he knows when and when not to pull such faces and the execution and control is brilliant. As Barry Berkman/Block, Hader is blank and stony as a depressed hitman and learns his way around to a variety of expressions as his desire to become an actor develops after stumbling into a Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) acting class while on a hit job. This newfound desire causes issues for Barry’s stupidly ambitious partner Fuches (Stephen Root) and their current client the Chechen’s Los Angeles mob boss Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler) and his delightfully quirky right-hand man Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan). And it doesn’t help that Barry also develops a crush on Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg), an aspiring actress who navigates her way through the befuddling and demeaning world of auditions, pernicious agents, and disappointment.

There’s a lot going on but Barry pushes through and goes with whatever flow he’s forced to work with so that he may remain loyal to faux father figure Fuches, not die by the hands of insane Chechen mobsters, and prove to an intensified Henry Winkler as madman of the theater and ladykiller Gene Cousineau that his acting isn’t “dogshit.” All Barry wants is a semblance of a normal life with some theater acting and a little white picket fence pizazz with the girl of his daydreams. But can Barry do it? Can he push through to the end of what seems to be endless jobs and finally shed his past life for good, or will it forever be lurking, always some loose end to tie up that leads to another and another? You won’t get your answers in Season 1 but Season 2 is on the horizon.

Hader’s “Barry” is solid and delivers plenty of twisted laughs. And it’s not just because Hader’s great but every actor adds to this murderous wacky world of mobsters and amateur actors. Anthony Carrigan as Noho Hank particularly stands out. He’s comically charming and delivers derangement with panache. And I can’t wait to see more. If you haven’t seen “Barry,” I promise you won’t regret fitting it into your watchlist schedule and bumping it to the top.

Now available on Digital HD and DVD