When it comes to theatrical comedies, a big budget almost always guarantees disaster. For example, Evan Almighty and the recent Pink Panther remake cost over $80 million each to make, and both are unwatchable duds. With its nearly $70 million budget, you can now add Universal's Couples Retreat - a comedy about a group of friends who head to a tropical resort which offers marital counselling - to the list.

Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Jason Bateman and their respective others assume the therapy is optional, but 'hilarity' ensues when they're forced to endure bonding sessions hosted by a variety of wacky counselors. Brit comic Peter Serafinowicz provides a few amusing moments as island coordinator Sctanley (the 'C' is silent) and, while this nearly two-hour snoozefest shot in Bora Bora looks beautiful, it often feels as if you're watching the home movies of Hollywood stars rather than an actual film.

This theory may be the reason why the darkly humorous You Might As Well Live is so good. This low-budget indie from E1 stars Joshua Peace as Robert Mutt, a misunderstood loser from a small Ontario town who begins the film by trying to kill himself after years of constant rejection.

His suicide attempt from a low bridge only gets him committed to a mental institution, where he finally fits in and makes friends with an orderly (Clark Johnson, of TV's Homicide), who uses Mutt to win money in a series of juvenile bets. Things take a turn for the worse when Mutt is deemed sane and forced to return home to his catatonic mother and bratty sister. With only legendary minor-league ball player Clinton Manitoba (Michael Madsen) to look up to, Mutt is determined to become a somebody at all costs, and the ensuing escapades are pleasantly reminiscent of The Jerk.

With its oddball characters, the film's comparison to Napoleon Dynamite may be an unfair one, as director Simon Ennis and co-writer Peace take an edgier approach by making Mutt a likeable outcast who encounters obstacles such as being falsely accused of dealing child pornography.

Including an impressive soundtrack which includes Lee Hazlewood, You Might As Well Live is a Canadian movie we can feel proud of, and one which easily outshines its Hollywood counterparts in the humour department.

Upcoming Releases
March 2 - 2012; Where The Wild Things Are; Gentlemen Broncos; Ponyo; Matlock: Season 4.

Amanda Stefaniuk is a freelance writer who literally grew up in a video store.