| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
B |
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| Acting: |
B+ |
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| Direction: |
B |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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The characters make this movie worthy Spoiler-free
by N (movies profile)
May 11, 2008
36
of
40 people found this review helpful
The movie was a good story, with good dialogue. However, with that alone, the movie wouldn't have stood. What makes this movie enjoyable are the characters, and the actors playing them.
(Note: If, like me, you really enjoyed 'Love Actually', just go watch this movie. I'll be shocked if you don't like this one).
I'm not too familiar with Reynolds' body of work, but here, he's a character one can easily sympathise with. He's witty, warm, willing to open himself, to love and politics. His daughter, Maya (spelling?), played by Breslin is one you quickly warm to (I loved Little Miss Sunshine, and Breslin does not disappoint again).
The three women, played by Fisher, Banks and Weisz, continue the trend of interesting characters. Each are different from the other, yet not one is a clichéd rip-off, well apart from Banks' Emily who seems fits what everyone expects of the childhood sweetheart, but the use of such a character is, I assure you, not trite.
Fisher plays April, a girl I found most fascinating merely because of her rejection of society's guidelines. She's brilliantly smart, you'll know from her first discussion, yet she's strongly lacking in ambition. She's the one of the three I could realte to the most. However, I wish more of her character could've been fleshed out.
The ever brilliant Weisz (really, really, enjoyed her in 'The Constant Gardener') plays Summer, a journalist who's not afraid to make the bold moves, but has some serious commitment issues, I figured. You might conclude otherwise, which is another good thing about the movie. Each character has more than one layer, and each viewer will see them from another angle. While it won't stun anybody, I can see people actually discussing the various characters and their reasoning, and coming into disagreements.
Banks, who I first came to enjoy in the '40 Year Old Virgin' is sweet here playing Emily, but I found myself understanding this character the least. However, she plays her role well, and like Summer and April, she has a role play.
As the movie continues, like Maya, you'll come to wonder who Maya's mother really is. I couldn't guess it, but you won't simply dismiss what happens as fanciful nonsense.
It's billed as a romantic comedy, but it leans more to the romance than the comedy. However, I did laugh at many bits. But I think it's better to come with the expectation of romance than comedy.
It is a good movie. I'm someone who really dislikes the Hollywood nonsense that is romance, which is formulaic, predictable and frankly eye-candy meets eye-candy. This movie is different. It's warm, it has it's funny parts, it has the non-romantic parts (like politics) which gives better shades to Will Hayes (Reynolds), showing his hopes and dreams, and his disillusionment when they're dashed (in matters of love and other non-romantic matters).
If you've had the same problem with romance movies from Hollywood as I did, you might be surprised with this movie. Worth a shot, in fact I'd recommend it for anyone who likes good romantic comedies/dramas. |
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