Catch and Release is a romantic comedy featuring Jennifer Garner. In it she plays a woman whose fiance dies shortly before their wedding. Heartbroken and unable to pay her rent she moves into the house he shared with two male roommates. Over the course of the movie she comes to realize that her perfect fiance was far the man she thought he was, keeping secrets big and small from her. In an attempt to set things right romance blossoms from an unexpected source and she beings the long process of putting her life back together.
Well, I shouldn't say the romance came from an 'unexpected' source, since I'm sure you can see the (awkward) love interest from the get-go. Still, a fine little movie that will entertain you but little more. It tries for 'deep' emotional responses from the audience and largely fails, but no matter, what's left is good enough.
2.5 out of 4, or 65 out of 100.
* * * * *
I must mention two largely immature reactions I had to the movie.
First Kevin Smith, who plays one of the roommates, has really put on weight. Smith, you may recall, is the director/co-star of Clerks, Dogma, etc but sticks to a purely acting role here.
Hey I'm a big guy and I probably look as big or bigger than Smith, but he appears so large that his movements on screen legitimately seem, I don't know, physically painful for him.
Second, I am sick and tired of people pretending Juliette Lewis is attractive. She is not. Her face, if you want to be PC about it, is 'unconventional', but let's just cut to the chase. She's ugly. She's a female Steve Buscemi without the talent.
(of course when I looked for pics online I couldn't find many that feature the true Joan Cusack-ness of her face, given that most sites prefer to post pictures of her half-naked, so this will have to do)
Yet she continually gets acting jobs, and moreover gets jobs where she's supposedly just the bomb diggity. Jennifer Garner calls her 'really hot' in this movie. Jennifer Garner! She must have been giggling inside when she had to deliver those lines. And that awful voice!
Must I poke out both my eardrums AND my eyes when she's in a movie?
"She's a female Steve Buscemi without the talent."
ReplyDelete<snort!>
No argument from me when it comes to Lewis.
But in thinking about your remarks, I find that attractiveness is not always a requirement for me when it comes to favorite actors. It doesn't HURT, don't get me wrong (Daniel Craig, ladies?), but odd that you mentioned Steve Buscemi, because he is without a doubt one of my favorite actors--I can't think of a single movie I've seen him in that I didn't like, or at least his performance in it--and he also has to be one of the most unattractive individuals ever! I just love the guy, though.
Will this fuel the fire of the whole "men are more visual" argument?
All my best,
Beth
http://journals.aol.com/luvrte66/nutwoodjunction/
Juliette Lewis does okay with the 'deranged mental patient' parts, but after that? Yikes.
ReplyDelete('bomb diggity'? ROFL)
~Amy
Congrats on being selected as one of the Guest Editor's Picks! I enjoyed reading your Entries.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Rose
Juliette Lewis is a waste of time and talent...is she related to someone famous or something? Last night I watched Denzel in The Debater's. Really good movie (although a little on the long side). Let me know what you think.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
Ken told me he was going to include you in his Guest Editor picks, and I nodded wisely (I like to do that sometimes) and said, "Good choice."
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Beth
I dont mean to cause a scene here but I'm alittle irritated by the double standards. I dont pay enough attention to have an opinion on her acting ability. I do agree she is not the most attractive. But so what! There are way more uglier men then women in Hollywood. FAT UGLY MEN! Urgh...
ReplyDeleteRhianna
While I appreciate you taking the time to comment I disagree entirely.
ReplyDeleteIf Lewis had even a smidgeon of talent I'd lay off of her, BUT she doesn't, so instead she is routinely cast as a 'hot' girl in a supporting role. Therefore yes, her looks are FAIR GAME.
She isn't attractive, and I buy the idea of her as being cast as the "Hot friend" as much as I'd consider Dennis Franz for the role of John Kennedy.
I think it's backwards for a woman to scream 'double standard' here. Men may not enjoy watching an older woman in a sexually provocative role, but we're also not the ones who go ahead and glorify the alleged sexiness of Jack Nicholson (!) or other male stars up there in age - or for that matter 'ugly fat men'.
I'm more than comfortable saying I'd prefer not to see Jack put the moves on a 30 year old, or Clint Eastwood date someone in their 20's, and most men would say the same. Apparently a lot of women feel differently.
If there is a double standard on this subject, I think it lies with the female audience.
Again, thanks for taking the time to comment.
Dan
Having seen a few films that Juliette Lewis has played in I have to agree. She has absolutely no talent and almost ALWAYS sounds whiney. How she managed to net roles over and over is beyond me. The verdict has been passed around that she will sleep with anyone for roles (from the rumor mill)...The movie itself sounds captivating, I'll have to check it out. (Hugs) Indigo
ReplyDeleteLMAO @ Lewis....
ReplyDeletemy brother always says that you have to give the crazy ones a go at least once, apparently most of them don't make it too hard to 'find the prize in the cracker jack box'.
I totally agree.... Natural Born Killers?! I'd dump a guy who thought that was 'hot'....vomit.
~Bernadette