Hopefully this film is able to stand its ground against the mega blockbusters this summer because it is really good and could be one of the best films that will come out during the season. Banks and Pine work really well off each other and while it can be a bit predictable at times (these films always have a bit of that element in them), the film never really slows down. This is definitely a film that I can see being a big WOM hit when released. ***1/2

I definitely want to see this. It's just too bad it's being released against Magic Mike and even Ted. It's going to get killed.

The TV spots feel desperate. "FROM THE STUDIO WHO BROUGHT YOU THE HELP!"

Hey, they should be. It's actually a great move marketing-wise. Certainly not a bad thing.

Really? I'm not saying movies like this can't be good but the trailer shows nothing new and doesn't break ground in terms of performances either and I say that having been swayed by "Won't Back Down" and "Flight" which look like great movies.

I think jmovies needs to use the word "film" in his reviews more.

Don't be a dick Mike.

So you believe he has the proper number of films? I think at least 2 or 3 more would really increase his insight and the quality of writing.

I'm not doing this dance mike. Stop being a prat. that is all I'll say.

ok, please don't call me mike.

This movie sucks, btw. Kurtzman directs it like it's a Transformers sequel and Pine & Banks have way too much sexual chemistry for half-siblings. In a way, they would've been better going the incest route; at least the film would be interesting then.

I agree. I'm kind of sick of people mocking reviews here, like we're all professional critics and should adhere to certain rules when writing.

Jesus, you're a negative bunch sometimes.

He says, rather negatively.

He wittily points out, negatively.

They both receive a slap to the face, positively.

Now let's get back to what's important: Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks, no matter how hard they try, are not movie stars.

Chances are you're right, but don't we ever get tired of the "movie star" debate?

Colin Farrell and Clive Owen are perfect examples. These are great actors: Children of Men, Closer, Gosford Park, In Bruges, The New World, Tigerland, etc. But they're always plagued by this fixation on determining if they're proper movie stars, as if this is the final and most important test.

Movie stars might not even exist anymore. It's a concept and property centric world now. Channing Tatum might seem a movie star at the moment, but he's just been paired with the right concepts this year. No one cared when The Eagle came out.

Audiences abandon Brad Pitt faster than a speeding bullet if they sense art-house in the water (Jesse James, The Tree of Life).

That's especially true when you have no-star movies doing great business (Paranormal Activity, Chronicle, Project X, Bridesmaids - nobody in it was really a big name when this came out - recognizable, sure, but not stars, Act of Valor) and movies with big names underwhelming or out-right flopping (That's My Boy, The Rum Diary, Dark Shadows, New Year's Eve).

Channing Tatum is classic example of right place, right time. But people will make him out to be the next big star. Honestly, I still have trouble identifying him.

I really like Elizabeth Banks. Haven't seen one bad performance from her. Not Oscar-worthy, but likable. She'll never reach that next level though. She'd be better suited with a Showtime TV series. But TV is still viewed as a demotion in Hollywood. Even when bigger names do TV now, it's more like "Well, they have to do TV now, what else is left?"

One "problem" with Elizabeth Banks is she's too prolific. Too willing to play roles in Man on a Ledge and Meet Dave type fare. Which I don't begrudge her, but those aren't the type of career choices which create a mythic movie-star feel.

An unassumingly low-key but affecting family drama. Chris Pine is decent but Elizabeth Banks is wonderful here, a very nice performance. Good supporting turns from Michelle Pfeiffer and Olivia Wilde, as well. B

I thought it was really sweet and heartfelt, with great performances all around. Elizabeth Banks really steals the show, but I also really enjoyed the performances from Chris Pine and Michelle Pfieffer. It's a shame this was such a flop this weekend because with some momentum it could have had really nice word of mouth. A-

I'm confused. Did they ever fully wrap up the Chris Pine storyline where he might be doing some jail time and paying hefty fines? I felt like by the end they were solely interested in the main plot (and rightfully so), but didn't that deserve some sort of resolution even if the movie was running a little long? Sure they might be full of joy when they watch the film at the end, but what happens next when he might completely disappear out of their lives again?

As for the rest of the movie, it's pleasant, but you've seen it all before. Banks and Pine are quite good, and I also enjoyed that kid, but this is nothing more than a nice rental.

**½ (C+)

PEOPLE LIKE US - 8/10 (B+)

I really enjoyed this movie. Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine were great in it.

Though I will say their chemistry was more palpable than the chemistry you see between leads in most mainstream romance films. They're supposed to be siblings but the chemistry they had wasn't of the sibling variety. Made it a little weird to watch him go so long without telling her he's her brother. She's going to need therapy for life after having sexual/romantic feelings for him.

I still liked this a lot though. It's a shame it was a Box Office dud.

A bit strange, but also charming and entertaining, in large part due to the ace performances. Mixed feelings.

It is constructed on uncomfortable ground. On one hand, it aims to be a loose, moving, and personal chronicle of adults left aching and adrift by their turbulent Los Angeles upbringings. But it is also bound to genre clichés, the most infuriating being the requirement one protagonist refuse another vital information until such a point the truth is revealed, and a third-act fight erupts. This is a tired routine nearly always, but here it is cruel, almost inhuman, and it brings into sharper focus the plot's creepy-crawly quality: we are seeing a sister fall in love with a man who is her long lost brother. By the time he is going on whirlwind day trips with his half sister and her troubled son, his continued deceit can only be read as malevolent and a shade perverse.

Why isn't it a disaster then? Because it is acted with such grace and intelligence, with Elizabeth Banks delivering the most nuanced performance of her career to date, and directed with energetic conviction. I found myself convinced and able to invest in the storyline, despite its flaws.

B-