Like it, that is. But my gut reaction to the film was 'Meh.'
I've been a fan of Lake Bell's since 'Surface'. So I was intrigued when I heard about this film. (Not so intrigued to have seen it at the cinema, though; I watched it on DVD.)
Unfortunately, the film is flat. The story's just not there. It's more an indie film (situation) than a Hollywood film (story), but it doesn't have the oomph of a well-told indie; it's not a study of intriguing characters in a pointed situation. There's nobody here that's really 'quirky'. There's nobody here that's particularly compelling. That's not to say that there aren't distinct characters. But because it's not smart enough to be a real indie, it just doesn't hold up over and hour and a half.
As a screenwriter, I tend to go back to the basics when analyzing a film that I've seen. I won't get all text-bookish here, but there's no journey for her character. She doesn't 'go' anywhere. Instead, the 'quirky' aspect is played-up, but there's not enough 'there', there. There are possibilities in the dynamics between the rest of the cast, but nothing is pulled off with any aplomb, nothing is invested, and as a result...'meh'.
It could have been a gem. They had all the actors in place. And clearly, they made the most of the budget. They just needed a better script to shoot.
I've been a fan of Lake Bell's since 'Surface'. So I was intrigued when I heard about this film. (Not so intrigued to have seen it at the cinema, though; I watched it on DVD.)
Unfortunately, the film is flat. The story's just not there. It's more an indie film (situation) than a Hollywood film (story), but it doesn't have the oomph of a well-told indie; it's not a study of intriguing characters in a pointed situation. There's nobody here that's really 'quirky'. There's nobody here that's particularly compelling. That's not to say that there aren't distinct characters. But because it's not smart enough to be a real indie, it just doesn't hold up over and hour and a half.
As a screenwriter, I tend to go back to the basics when analyzing a film that I've seen. I won't get all text-bookish here, but there's no journey for her character. She doesn't 'go' anywhere. Instead, the 'quirky' aspect is played-up, but there's not enough 'there', there. There are possibilities in the dynamics between the rest of the cast, but nothing is pulled off with any aplomb, nothing is invested, and as a result...'meh'.
It could have been a gem. They had all the actors in place. And clearly, they made the most of the budget. They just needed a better script to shoot.
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