How did this already disappear onto the second page even though it just opened and expanded?

So, this is a very watchable and fun relationship comedy that is a great date movie. David Duchovny is funny and fits the role really well. Julianne Moore is irritating as usual but doesn't detract from the film much. Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers a loveable performance and easily outshines Jake as the superior sibling. Slightly above average for the genre, I give it a B.

I saw this last week, at my local art house theater.

My thought: It was a nice little film, but nothing special. It had some great moments in it, and nice laughs, but it got a little hokey at the end. My grade: B-.

The audience, mostly middle age couples and senior citizens, were enjoying it.

Hmm... something was a bit off with this. I think it was a lackluster script with actors that were too good for it. I've always liked David Duchovny. He probably gets more praise from me than he deserves. And he doesn't disappoint here. It's just... the movie dealt with some plotlines that were too big for a romantic comedy. I appreciated the effort, but the script just wasn't good enough.

That's not to say it isn't watchable. It is. Just don't expect more than 90 minutes of a timekiller. And can a rom-com ever end well? The ending is nearly as unwatchable as the ending to Anger Management.

Grade: B-

C


Okay, I get it. Bart Freundlich wants to imitate Woody Allen here. No, it's not a homage as some scenes seem as if directly lifted from Hannah and Her Sisters or Husbands and Wives. Hell, it's more of a clasic Woody Allen movie than Allen makes those himself nowadays, only lacking the sharp edge and the humor of Allen's screenplays. It tries hard, but never actually comes close to the movies it tries to copy.

I'm not sure what exactly went wrong here, but I suppose that Freundlich was trying so hard to make a new Allen flick that in the process he forgot to give the film his own touch. The cast is what saves the movie from being a totally boring mess. Maggie Gyllenhaal is the highlight here and yeah, I think she's definitely better than her brother Jake. It's actually the second time I see her shining in what is otherwise a really average movie (the other time being World Trade Center). Her and Billy Crudup had some good chemistry and I really liked their story and the way they wrapped it up.

On the other hand, David Duchovny (who I usually genuinely like) and Julianne Moore are rather lackluster. It's not that they are acting badly, it's that their story is rather crap and the screenplay portions concerned with them are very plain and uninteresting. It's too bad because on the whole the movie could have been a much better effort if Freundlich didn't try to make a Woody Allen movie and reworked his screenplay.