The "filmmaking" isn't the problem. The shots were nice, the sound was good, the acting was all right. It was the storyline that was a bit lacklustre and anticlimactic.
At one point I felt like there was going to be a sub-plot, in fact, I'd almost wager there was supposed to be a sub-plot and it was cut completely for whatever reason.
In a certain scene we see the people from Sweet Sweet (the doughnut franchise) talking between themselves about how much they needed this deal from "Bill" and it seemed somewhat shady like they were almost trying to sell off part of an obvious failing company. It felt to me like it was supposed to be part of a story where "Bill" was going to be financially devastated at the end by these people and perhaps the wife was going to have to bail him out or uncover it using her father's resources - this would have served a little as her apology for what she did to him by cheating on him with "Chip". When it gets to the end and she turns up for that meeting and helps him, by then it felt absolutely pointless - I think if I'd written it, I'd have had him turn up and talk his way into getting the franchise without her or anyone else's help but eventually turning it down rather than just having her come in, be necessary in obtaining the deal and then him just giving her the franchise.
But no subplot...I was a little confused by that.
Then there was the inclusion of "Lucy" (Alba's character). It was nice to have a female character but it felt like the movie could have completely went on without her, she wasn't a necessary character and by including her it detracted from the Bill storyline a bit. I was glad there was no "love interest" storyline as it'd have seemed rebound and cliché, but yeah, I think it could have done without her.
I think the storyline wanted to also focus a bit more on "The Kid" (this was his given character name in the credits) and make it a little bit of a mutual relationship between him and Bill. It felt like there was a lot of substance missing from this friendship of theirs. 95% of the movie focused on HIM mentoring Bill (which I suppose is the point in some ways), but never learning or taking on board anything from Bill (at least it seemed that way to me). Cut out the parts with the school, Lucy and the Fireworks, and "The Kid" has no real link to anything outside of Bill's life. That entire storyline could have almost been changed to "The Kid" turning out to be some sort of cliche "Guardian Angel" to guide and mentor Bill (I'd have almost expected it if it weren't for the school and Lucy, showing us that "The Kid" had ties to the world outside of Bill's unfortunate mid-life crisis).
It was a watchable movie, some parts were enjoyable, but it could have been better. I think the script probably went through more re-writes than were probably necessary and the storyline lost a lot of substance in the run of it. I think it was also marketed wrong as a "romantic comedy" when it really wasn't. Looking at the front of the cover, you expected Bill and Lucy to end up together (Although I'm glad they didn't pull the usual rebound love story match).
Anyway, it was an okay movie, not quite "good", not exceptionally great. But watchable, like I said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We've become a race of peeping toms.
reply
share