Special Correspondents (2016)

A radio journalist and his technician get in over their heads when they hatch a scheme to fake their own kidnapping during a rebel uprising in South America and hide out in New York instead.

Director:

Ricky Gervais

Writer:

Ricky Gervais

Stars:

Ricky Gervais, Eric Bana, Vera Farmiga

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ricky Gervais	...	Finch
Eric Bana	...	Frank
Vera Farmiga	...	Eleanor
Kelly Macdonald	...	Claire
Kevin Pollak	...	Mallard
America Ferrera	...	Brigida
Raúl Castillo	...	Domingo
Benjamin Bratt	...	Baker
Kim Ramirez	...	Brenda
Jim Norton	...	Rent Boy #1
Bob Banks	...	Crime Scene Officer
Jonathan Langdon	...	Bellboy
Glen Grant	...	Perry
Duane Murray	...	Sacha
Ryan F. Hughes	...	Barman

Storyline

A radio journalist and his technician get in over their heads when they hatch a scheme to fake their own kidnapping during a rebel uprising in South America and hide out in New York instead.

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Plot Keywords:

bickering | james bond reference | fabrication | marriage | radio broadcast | 

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Taglines:

Fake news. Real disaster.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Canada UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 April 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hírhajhászok

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bron Studios, Unanimous Entertainment, Stage 6 Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The way in which Finch (Ricky Gervais) buys a coffee for Claire at the end of the film is reminiscent of how Karl Pilkington, a close friend and colleague of Gervais, met his girlfriend. She bought him a hot chocolate.

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Goofs

The Aircraft Frank and Finch return home from Ecuador IN shows the registration number AS being simply "GSTG". In actuality, this Bombardier Challenger 605 has the Canadian registration number of "C-GSTG", the Canadian International code prefix of "C-" having been OBVIOUSLY whited out. Had this been an Ecuadorian civil aircraft, it would have an "HC-" prefix, and thus would have been "HC-GSTG".

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Quotes

[last lines]
Ian Finch: We seem to be walking to Manhattan - I guess.
Claire Maddox: I have coffee, so...
Ian Finch: You didn't want milk, did you?
Claire Maddox: I *did*.
Ian Finch: Okay, you good. 'Cuz there's a shop on this side, by now. We're probably not allowed to go across there...
Claire Maddox: This is like the end of a movie.
Ian Finch: A low bidget movie, maybe.

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Crazy Credits

"Trailer Puppy .... Charlie"

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Connections

Remake of Envoyés très spéciaux (2009)

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Soundtracks

Man on Fire
Written by Alex Ebert
Performed by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros)
Published by BMG Rights Management Ltd., A BMG Company
Licensed courtesy of Rough Trade Records
By arrangement Beggars Group Media Ltd.

User Reviews

Way better than most comedies..

In all likelihood it went over many people's heads, considering how inundated we are with pointless comedies that often receive a far higher rating on IMDb or higher ticket sales at the box office.

Great to see Eric Bana killing it again, but this time figuratively in a role as a self-confident, rogue reporter at a local news station. So too is the rest of the hilarious character gallery, along with their quirky foibles, from the manipulative money-grubbing sociopath played by Vera Farmiga to the over-emotional America Ferrera. Not to mention Gervais in the leading actor playing a fumbling doofus technician with low self-esteem, but with the redeemable quality of being kindhearted and well-meaning. Until he snorts coke, that is.. The film has a fair amount of subtle humor baked into the dialogue and contains a broader societal satire e.g. on the superficiality of news media, on the obsession with fame in today's docusoap infested society, and on the callous amorality of the drug gangs of Latin America, etc.

It's also a feelgood movie you leave with a smile, but that nonetheless doesn't suffer from being syrupy and maudlin which is so typical for the genre. The low-budget remake of the original French film feels like a fresh take in a world where Hollywood constantly churns out focus group-tested flavorless rom-coms.