User Reviews

Simon Pegg fans will just LOVE this one!! so many twists and turns. starts out innocently enough, and just snowballs into intrigue. Charlie (David Schwimmer) is an aspiring writer who takes a call center job to pay the bills, and that's where he meets Gus (Pegg). and while they are coming up with a get rich quick scheme, they bump into Josie (Alive Eve). or rather, she bumps into them. and then things really get moving. gotta pay attention, or you'll miss where things stand. they have to be careful, because Charlie's wife is a deputy. really tight story, good acting by all. highly recommend this one if you like a caper film. no plot-holes. there is a bit of blood and guts, violence. writing credits to Jean-Baptiste Andrea and William Rosenfeld. directed by Andrea. fun adventure.

I just watched Big Trouble with absolutely no expectations, how could i, it had a very limited release in my area and almost no publicity alongside some terrible press reviews, i don't think it even has US release date yet and made no dent at the UK box office.

Along came the DVD and because Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer are in it i was compelled to give it a chance and to my surprise the critics judge to harshly again, this film is 82mins of pure fun, great chemistry between the two leads, an easy going quirky script and some nice dark touches with some great plot twist.

The film escapes its low budget by not looking like it was filmed in the isle of Man and North wales, believe me i looked for the cracks, they didn't show.

Watching the DVD extras its clear these guys had a great time making the movie and I'm pleased to see Pegg/Schwimmer have teamed up again for Run Fatboy Run, lets hope they work as well together again.

If you like a light hearted black comedy then you could do a lot worse than watch this little gem, ignore the reviews and take a look for yourself and if your in the US why not get hold of a copy on import, you won't be disappointed.

p.s Kudos goes to the lollipop.

An unemployed teacher (good performance by David Schwimmer) tries to find a way to earn money so he can support his family, but ends up in a messy crime with his two accidental "comrads" (master of comedy Simon Pegg and beautiful Alice Eve).

This is the plot for a brilliant black comedy made by French director Jean-Baptiste Andrea. And by brilliant, I mean exactly that.

Thought the plot may not seem that interesting, Andrea directs a great story, combining effectively resources form comedy, black humor, and even suspense. the result is a brilliant black comedy, perhaps the best of its year, unfortunately underrated.

This is a totally worth-watching film. But if you wanna see "Ross" or a simple comedy, you won't like it. This is an intelligent film. 8 out of 10.

Big Nothing is about Charlie (David Schwimmer) who settles for a job as a tech assistant. He meets Gus Dickinson (Simon Pegg) and together with waitress Josie (Alice Eve) they plan to blackmail the local Reverend. Their plan goes awry, setting off a chain-reaction of unfortunate events that makes it the longest night of their lives.

I would not call this film one of the best ever made but I definitely think it is worth a much higher rating on IMDb. Higher than a 6.8 at least. It is a dark comedy and has been made very well for it's genre. But I admit I don't know too much about dark dramas/comedies as I don't watch too many.

I thought the movie is very engaging but starts out a little slow. But as the movie progresses the tension builds up and the story gets a lot more interesting. Especially in the 2nd half.

I definitely think this is one of David Schwimmer's best roles yet. I have seen many of his movies and am an avid "Friends" fan and Big Nothing is one of his projects which really shows off his acting skills. His character Charlie did have a few Ross-Geller-from-Friends reminders in him but overall was great and much different from the sweet, lovable character he usually plays. I am glad he acted as Charlie and I'm sure he will break out of the softie mould he is stuck in soon. Simon Pegg made a very thrilling Gus. He was basically perfect and I thought he was the strongest performance in the whole film. I hate to admit it but Alice Eve was a very good Josie. She had a kind of slutty but sexy appeal and her voice was perfect for her character. She did not seem out of place at all. Her performance spruced up in the last 45 minutes or so though, that was when her real acting began.

I didn't find a single "dull" moment in this whole movie and I definitely think it is worth a watch. Especially if you don't watch dark and serious looking, thriller type films. This would be a very good place to start.

A good film, not great but worth watching and definitely twice (I preferred it second time round) it's a unique film, the idea has been done in different ways but the plot holds it's own very well.

I am a big Simon Pegg fan and found him to play Gus very well and was glad that he played a much different character than his previous portrayals. He had good on screen chemistry with David Schwimmer who's character Charlie actually was to me the funnier of the two.

The three main cast were strong at acting and the film didn't lose steam, the development of the film as the situation got more and more out of control was well paced and there was twists and turns at every corner.

A good attribute if this film is that it is primarily a comedy, a black comedy and i did find myself laughing at the predicaments they were in but at the same time i enjoyed the dramatic and thriller elements and the effective music, it also came across as farce-ish in places.

I would definitely recommend giving this a go. It is different from all the run of the mill blockbuster 'i have to make millions and million at the box office to be a success.' and worth watching for Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer each very different performers but of equal talent.

A wonderful black comedy in the style of Shallow Grave. It started out as a very disturbing and violent movie, but became a real comedy of errors and every man for himself.

David Schimmer plays an eccentric "factoid" full ex-teacher who is at the end of his tether and will do almost anything to look after his little girl.

Simon Pegg plays a slick con-man who just can't quite get it right.... despite numerous attempts.

Alice Eve is wonderful as the small town teen beauty queen gone bad, who is willing to say and do anything.

Altogether an entertaining yet very black comedy. Well worth a look.

I saw this movie yesterday, and I must say I was impressed. Where do i start? The music, the cinematography, the plot or the acting? Well the music was delightful. A little different from what you usually hear running in the background. The cinematography is simply superb, whether it is the choice of colors or background or the usage of split screens or just the swift movement of camera. The actors did a good job. All actors played their characters convincingly, especially Simon Pegg. The plot. Oh My GOD!. After a long time have I come across a plot like this, with so many twists and turns that it just keeps getting wackier every minute. You get so involved in the plot, that you feel sad when.....I'll leave the rest for you to watch :)

I have been reading through reviews of this movie after I watched it and I have to say I completely disagree with a lot of the overly harsh comments.

Simply put this is a fantastic 'fun' movie. The dark humour is perfectly balanced and fits snugly in the story without stepping over the line that may insult or even alienate some viewers. Indeed the film will appeal to a variety of people, casting it's target audience nets far and wide.

Kudos to the DoP, the cinematography in this film is fantastic and solid throughout. There was never a dull shot I thought was out of place, it suited and told the story well. Not far behind is the lighting which is also incredible. So many shots stick in my mind, and I'm sure I may even borrow a few of the lighting arrangements on my own productions.

Acting is also good, something which has also been picked at. Pegg pulls off a surprisingly good American accent as does his female counterpart. It was also nice to see Schwimmer on the big screen again, the role shows a small detour from his usual characters. I found the characters were believable in their relationship to one another, something which is very difficult to establish in the time it accomplished.

I suggest people give this movie a chance. Make your own minds on what you think rather than rolling with what the critics say. The film isn't a masterpiece by any means, just bloody good fun.

Watchable, yet ultimately disappointing piece that tries hard to be as edgy and original as "Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels", but it just can't rise above its mediocre script. The running gag of ill-timed coincidences and random encounters runs out of gas quickly -- and then becomes rather boring and irksome, not to mention predictable (...okay, so I WILL mention it!) The piece is stylish enough -- but it's kind of like reading a letter written by someone with great penmanship. You end up being more interested in how the words LOOK rather than what they say... which unfortunately is what happens with "Big Nothing". Style over content.

Simon Plegg has fun with the limited material he's given, but David Schwimmer seems to have some trouble breaking free of his whiny Ross character from "Friends"... and Natascha McElhone is all but wasted in a peripheral roll that is, in the end, unsatisfying and unbelievable.

This movie really caught me by surprise. I hadn't heard about it until about two days before the release and decided to give it a chance. I didn't regret it! Big Nothing is the story of two nice losers who decide to blackmail a porn-addicted priest. A fool-proof plan. Needless to say, everything goes wrong. Big Nothing made me laugh my head off and managed to shock me quite a few times, which is what made it so unique. Superficially, it might look like another crime caper but the sheer number of twists and turns and the fun factor of the whole thing really sets it apart from the rest of the pack. And just when you think you get the gist of it, the tone itself changes, and you're leaving the caper behind to plunge into a downright Gothic, although still hilarious, movie. It's a very intense ride which made me feel almost battered after the screening. My friends reacted in pretty much the same way. We laughed so hard we cried, and we jumped our of our seats quite a few times. I suspect some people will be disturbed by the tone change, but that's what makes the movie so unique in my opinion. It seems to get great reviews overall, although I read a couple of nasty ones in the press. Those guys are probably too old for that kind of ride, and I actually wouldn't recommend it to anyone wearing a pacemaker. Nothing's perfect in this world, although I have a hard time finding what I didn't like. Kick-ass soundtrack and photography complemented the storyline perfectly. A fantastically punk movie. Disco-lovers should give it a miss! This was my very first review. More to come!

David Schwimmer (Ross from the TV show Friends) and Simon Pegg (dude from the Brit-comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) star in a comedic action-thriller-crime British movie. And, yes, you can make out all the words they say; nothing like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (which is an amazing movie by the way). Mr. Pegg definitely put on an American accent for this role, which made sense given the movie setting was in a small town of Oregon. It was seriously every movie of that action-thrill genre kind mixed into one. It had all your typical police mishaps and silly story turns. During the movie they even made a parody bit out of The Matrix; I enjoyed it.

The story was pretty basic. Two guys (David and Simon's characters) are struggling financially and meet at a call-center. Upon not wanting to work there anymore they decide to blackmail somebody. Nothing seems to go right after said "Plan A."

Overall this movie was pretty well done. The acting was pretty decent too. Given that this was the French director's first real flick, guy's name is Jean-Baptiste Andrea, I thought he did a great job. The cut scenes were really cool, reminded me of Shaun of the Dead and Requiem for a Dream. Perhaps Simon helped.

Ironically enough, the one Simon Pegg movie that I have not seen is Run, Fatboy, Run, directed by David Schwimmer. That's pretty cool that a year after Big Nothing that Schwimmer and Pegg decided to act together in a movie of their own.

The movie also co-starred Alice Eve. She was in She's Out of My League, which is one of those movies that I refuse to watch. Eve did a great job in this too. And, she's definitely not rough on the eyes. If you're looking for a fun and quirky comedy, then I'd check out Big Nothing.

Fun fact from the film's Wikipedia page: "Big Nothing was filmed over thirty-two days in January 2006, and had its world premiere at the Cardiff Film Festival on November 18, 2006. Released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on December 1, 2006, the film had its European market release on March 15, 2007, but was never released in cinemas in America. Rather, it was released on DVD on June 12, 2007."

Good movie just for fun if you're fan of simon pegg it is grate movie ... Ending was dippointment

Now, this was a funny movie! A simple plan to get some money goes terribly wrong at every turn. You just sit back and wonder what is going to happen next.

David Schwimmer of "Friends" and Simon Pegg (Hott Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) plan to get some blackmail money from a preacher that visits porn sites. First thing that goes wrong is the addition of the very beautiful Alice Eve. Everything goes to hell from there and it is one continuous laugh after another as they bumble though.

It is the fact that the surprises come constantly that really makes this with two, count them, two serial killers, and cheating spouses, and lots of money from snuff films. This is a riot!

This film has a very short running time, little more than one hour 20 minutes (including credits) and, more often than not, a brief running time means a mess thrown out there into the big wide world by the producers because it just might recoup some of its cost if they make a good job of the trailer. So I came into this with fairly low expectations - but was relatively happy with what I got.

The storyline grows so convoluted after the first ten minutes that it would take three sides of A4 to describe but, in a nutshell, it's about a blackmail scam that goes fatally wrong. It's the kind of story that could have played straight, but the makers here go for laughs and, while there are only a few moments of laugh-out-load material, there's enough good stuff to keep you entertained - even if only by the whale of a time that everyone seems to be having. Simon Pegg makes a convincing American, while David Schwimmer manages not to be annoying, and Alice Eve looks gorgeous (and also manages a credible US accent).

The film's main stumbling block is that it doesn't know when to stop. The twists and turns to the plot fall over each other in their haste to present themselves so that they begin to grow a little tiresome. The interaction between the main characters is entertaining enough to keep most viewers happy, so perhaps it would be better if the writers had concentrated a little harder on that aspect.

All in all though, if you haven't heard of this one before but you're tempted to rent it, give it a go; it probably won't find its way onto your top ten all time favourites, but it will keep you entertained. Oh yeah, and Mimi Rogers' 'Well I'll be… I haven't heard Pink Floyd in years,' line has to be the funniest I've heard in ages.

Big Nothing draws on inspiration from Sam Raimi's 1998 film A Simple Plan, among other things, as it follows this everyday and seemingly ordinary working class guy get involved in a noir inspired dream situation. It's the sort of situation that could, and in fact very much does, quickly become the absolute opposite – a noir inspired nightmare. This is achieved through a chain of events that, unlike A Simple Plan, draw on the post-Tarantino ideation of very black humour delivered through a variety of scenes that revolve around death, destruction and humour. I don't think the film is as good as A Simple Plan, if only for the fact A Simple Plan felt more grounded and was more subtle in its development and fleshing out of its characters and predicaments; but Big Nothing is a nourishing and devilishly good ride of genre basics and bleak but effective writing.

The film sees three relatively hapless leads, predominantly in David Schwimmer's Charlie but additionally in Simon Pegg's Gus and Alice Eve's 'Miss Teen Oklahoma' character named Josie McBroom. Charlie, a smart and educated man, gets what he perceives as a low-end job as a call centre worker to support his state trooper wife Penelope (McElhone) and young daughter. His work station neighbours that of Gus, a fast talking and smooth guy out to blackmail a local priest who, he claims, has a history of visiting certain websites he shouldn't have done. One night, Gus shares this plan with total stranger Charlie in a bar, but upon overhearing this plan, third lead Josie gets in on the act as the ever-obligatory, but in a nice sense, femme fatale.

There are a few things in the opening that raise eyebrows, but tactfully so. The casting of essentially British acting talent in Pegg and Eve, even if they're playing Americans, to act as foils to Schwimmer is a cute notion in the sense it's using whatever unease or uncertainty might lie in the relationship between Britain and America precisely for this film as a means of noir-inspired entertainment. The film has its characters act in a deliberately care-free and somewhat daft manner, most evidently when Charlie thinks he puts a customer on hold, insults them and then realises they were not on hold and the supervisor heard the whole thing. If you don't see that coming after Gus executes it moments earlier, flawlessly, then you're not trying hard enough. Charlie and Gus then go on to discuss what will be the film's initial incident in a very public place; something that leads to the latching on of Josie. Things go wrong in the early section, but it acts as a means to get across a certain degree of incompetence on the character's behalf; that these people are not suited for the task they're taking on. The film knowingly pays homage to its own set up when one character points out that two others may well have been reading 'Blackmail for Dummies'.

The presence of Charlie's partner Penelope, as this character of law enforcement, initially acts against the film; as an element that you feel will become rather obviously involved when her husband takes up illegal activity. But she's kept away from the narrative for most of the time and adopts a role as an off screen presence, forever threatening. If the writers for this project have taken inspiration from anything in regards to her particular character, then it is the calm; methodical and delicate archetype of Fargo's Marge Gunderson, as a figure of good but vulnerability amongst all the evil and wrong-doing that surrounds her. The film is littered with characters that are eliminated just as easily as they are introduced; fast and loose lines of dialogue, spat like venom on the characters' behalf, a particular favourite of mine being a spin on the overly familiar "read my lips......." phrase.

So if we learn anything from this, it's that 'Tarantino knock offs' or films inspired by Tarantino's ever-moulded together mesh of crime and comedy can work quite well. Big Nothing isn't a film that makes crime particularly appealing, or even sexy despite its frenetic and entertaining aesthetic, as much as it does make the prospect of getting into crime quite alluring as this seemingly fool-proof and straight forward plan spirals more and more out of control. The film isn't a glorification of crime, one particular character's downfall is brought on by an attack of guilt and realisation of who he is and what he has, but more importantly what he has to loose, while the quite tragic epilogue acts as a means of hammering home the point.

The whole situation is practically uphill from the moment Charlie disposes of a body that he thought was dead but wasn't quite, resulting in a series of scenes involving either death or total bewilderment, often both coming to the forefront at once and giving us a comedic spin. Big Nothing is a twisted but frighteningly good time. It provides more than enough in the basics for both noir and comedy, as genres, for a recommendation, and delivers this with an entertaining narrative that comes complete with twists and turns. The film zips along, without ever feeling overpowering, nor that particularly bad.

As a huge fan of the likes of Tarrantino, Fincher, and the Coen brothers, I'm betting that the skewed nature of the comedy is not going to be for everyone, but if you like your movies heavy on the WTF quotient, this one's for you.

I saw it at the Cardiff Film Festival last week, and the audience couldn't get enough of it. Really a fun "laughing your arse off" kind of a time. The twists, surprises, and laughs build and build to an ending which I won't give away but was not at all what I expected. Pegg and Schwimmer are a crack comedy duo, but the addition of Eve to the antics ups the ante nicely. It loses a star for taking a bit longer to get going than I would have liked, but I'm not quite sure how I would have cracked that particular nut.

All in all, this film's got more energy sparking off it than anything that's come down the pipe in quite a while. Will be seeing it again this weekend with my mates. GO BIG NOTHING!

Not a big fan of David Schwimmer what soever. Disliked him in Friends and other films he's done and quite frankly not a fan of his public persona on chat shows etc...

This is an exception. I felt his comic timing was great and him and Sean Pegg made an interesting duo.

The blonde girl was a nice bit of eye candy as well.

The movie was boring at first but got slightly better as time went on and the ending was spectacular.

My only gripe is I felt the beginning of the film was drawn out.

Not the sort of film i would go to the cinema for but entertaining to watch at home which i did last week.

I'd give it 6.5 out of 10.

Have you seen the trailer for this movie? Odds are, if you have, that you already seen the best bits. You'll probably have high hopes that the banter will be even wittier in the rest of the movie. You'll probably expect to see a bit more of Natasha McElhone or Alice Eve. You'll probably even expect moments of uncontrollable laughter. Great expectations indeed but alas "The Big Nothing" comes nowhere close to fulfilling them. There were less than a handful times that the audience laughed during this movie and even then it wasn't the whole cinema. The humour ranges from quirky to slapstick but never hits the mark on any of it. It's a movie that wants to be funny, serious, gory and surprising but it all comes across as "bland-yet-desperate". It's not the actors' faults as all give performances that are demanded of them but they should really have known better after reading the script. The problem with this movie is that it should never have been made in the first place. There's nothing innovative, new, exciting, funny, daring or even entertaining about it. You've seen all the crazy dialogue, double-crossing and attempts at plot twists before and seen them done better too. There's even a desperate attempt at the end of the movie to up the laugh count by showing one out-take as the credits start to roll! Yes, that's correct - one out-take. It's not even a good one. If you like you're comedies to have no laughs and your dramas to have no tension then you might like this but I failed to enjoy it from start to finish.

Just saw Big Nothing at a press screening and absolutely loved it. It's hilariously dark and funny. I'd rather not reveal anything of the plot but let's just say there are plenty of laugh out loud moments, yet sometimes, the film is surprisingly tense, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I love Simon Pegg, and though I was skeptical of pairing him with Schwimmer, I have to say the two work brilliantly together. Schwimmer couldn't be further from his Friends character, and Pegg is, well, Pegg! Judging from the reaction of the audience around me, this should be a hit. Can't wait to go back and see it again. Only criticism, I would've loved 15 more minutes, but at the same time, I did enjoy the crazy pace of the movie. Oh, and the soundtrack rocks!