Catch and Release
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Movie Reviews of Catch and Release
Movie Review: Cute little movie
Summary: 4 Stars
I went into watching this with no idea what to expect. I haven't really seen Jennifer Garner in much of anything (wasn't an Alias fan) but I like Kevin Smith and I think Timothy Olyphant is really cute :) so I decided to give it a chance.
This is actually a very sweet, heartfelt little movie. It doesn't contain many earth-shattering revelations about the Meaning of Life but it is head and shoulders above most romantic comedies, in my opinion. It does bring up some interesting points in answer to the question, "How well do we really know the people we love?" I thought that Garner's characters' struggles with the aftermath of her fiance's death - the big secret he concealed from her, dealing with her ex-future-mother-in-law, the roommate who blames himself for her fiance's death, the roommate who is in love with her, the friend who was complicit in her fiance's dishonesty who she's now attracted to, the "other woman," etc. - were realistically-portrayed and entertaining to watch.
Garner was delightful in this role and I thought portrayed the emotions and mental struggles of her character very authentically. Kevin Smith was great - you forget what a good actor he can be because his own movies get so bogged down in substituting volume of dialogue for quality. In this he actually brings a lot of subtle humor and heart to his role, which in his hands would probably have not been handled nearly as deftly. Timothy Olyphant is deliciously sexy and he also brings a lot of subtle light and shading to his role, and plays the romantic hero in a bit of a different way than you usually see. The movie did have some interesting points about how much we blind ourselves to the faults of the people we love. One of my favorite scenes was very near the end, when Gray is talking about a perfect day on the river she shared with her fiance. At the end of the day, driving home, he says he needs to tell her something, and she asks if it will make her happier or less happy. When he says "less happy" she tells him not to tell her. I think we all have a tendency to choose blissful ignorance over painful knowledge where are loved ones are concerned, and can make ourselves be happy with that even when we know we're choosing not to know the whole truth about them.
All in all, this is not a real "feel-good" picture although the ending is happy. It's not a tortured indie but nor is it a brainless mush of a rom-com that we've all seen a hundred million times. I liked it because it was serious and dealt with tough subjects but was uplifting overall. I hate brainless movies, but I also dislike how depressing many "serious" movies are. I don't need any more reasons to lose faith in my fellow man; if I want to see man's inhumanity to man all I have to do is turn on the evening news. I liked "Catch and Release" because it was not a dumb movie but it was not depressing either. Recommended for cynics like me, who still believe in love at the end of the day. :)
Movie Review: Sweet and tender - and Timothy Olyphant is an added bonus!
Summary: 4 Stars
Wedding days are meant to be happy, but for Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner) that happiness is marred when her fiancé, Grady, dies right before the wedding. On the day of his funeral, she has a wedding cake in the refrigerator, and she is turning away the wedding flowers at the door.
After his death, Gray finds she cannot afford the house they bought together so recently that her fiancé hadn't even moved in yet. She moves into the house he shared with two roommates, his friends Sam (Kevin Smith) and Dennis (Sam Jaeger) as well as a third friend who has come from out of state for the wedding and stayed for the funeral - Fritz (Timothy Olyphant). She works at rebuilding her life from the ashes of her tragedy - only to find that Fate isn't done with her yet. In settling his finances, she learns that there was an aspect of his past that he never told her about. His not so distant past. Feeling more than a little betrayed, she comes face to face with this living breathing reminder that her late fiancé was not perfect.
His friends, who are also her friends, are very supportive of Gray, especially Fritz. He's a very enigmatic sort of guy, but he's there for her. He helps her to deal with this curveball that's been thrown into her life. She doesn't even realize she's falling for him, which causes other problems, cause Dennis is in love with Gray too. Gray is determined, though, not to get hurt again, and isn't willing to put her heart on the line for anything, or anyone. What will it take to get her to live again?
I'll be honest, I watched this movie because Timothy Olyphant was in it, and I'm a huge fan of his. But I'm really glad I did. It was sweet and poignant and romantic, and it was fun to see another facet of Timothy. I can see some similarity to Raylan Givens (Justified) in Fritz, but not enough to mar his portrayal in any way. The supporting cast is really good. Juliette Lewis as the unexpected fly in the ointment was quirky and funny. She played a masseuse with more heart than brains, and a bent for natural foods. I loved the interaction between her and Kevin Smith. Kevin shows in his portrayal of Sam that he can do more than humor, and I loved his constant recitation of the sayings he gleaned from the tea company he works for - an obvious take-off on Celestial Seasonings. Sam Jaeger's Dennis had me wondering sometimes about his obsession with Gray, as obsessive characters sometimes do, but it was well done and human. Perhaps we can see the ending coming--it is a romance, after all--but I think the development was handled well, and was not forced or rushed. And completely satisfying.
Movie Review: Great date flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Gray (Jennifer Garner) thought that she and her fiance Grady would be getting married this weekend, but instead she's attending his funeral. Already destroyed at the loss of what could have been, she's devastated to learn that Grady had a secret life that he kept from her including a million dollar estate and a toddler love child. When the mother of said child comes looking for Grady, she must confront the past in order to have a future. Juliette Lewis gives her all as the slightly trampy quasi-Earth mother.
As Gray comes to terms with his betrayal, she turns to his roommates for solace and a place to stay since she can no longer afford the house they were renting. Through this quasi-extended family, she discovers the Grady she never knew, as well as the Gray that she is now becoming, and finds herself getting closer to his lothario friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), as friends Sam and Dennis also experience difficulty dealing with the loss of their friend.
Writer/director Susannah Grant, best known as the scribe behind "Erin Brokovich" and "In Her Shoes," has created a poignant story of love, loss, and forgiveness. Kevin Smith shows a serious side as well as provides comic relief as Sam, the inspirational comment writer (okay, typist) for "Constant Comment Teas." Veteran British actress Fiona Shaw, hysterical as the horny headmistress of the tony boarding school in "Three Men and a Little Lady," dons an American accent and gives a heartwarming performance of a mother who just wants her son back. And Juliette Lewis is a bit chiched in the role of flighty masseuse Maureen, who apparently doesn't own a pair of flat shoes.
Though some might find the romance between Gray and Fritz develop a little too quickly, I thought it was handled tastefully given the love-hate relationship between them and how thin the line between the two can be (though the ending was a bit rushed). Missing from the film was Grady himself - a couple flashbacks with him would have added depth to the relationship between Gray and Grady and given us a chance to find out what made him such a touchstone for the five lead characters.
The disc's special features are minimal - just lots of movie trailers and commentary - nothing to write home about.
Movie Review: A Nice Catch
Summary: 4 Stars
I expected this movie to be another light romantic comedy and was quite surprised by it.
The movie is deeper than one expects dealing with loss, grief, love, and finding oneself.
I thought most of the performances were excellent especially those by Kevin Smith as Sam, and Juliette Lewis. I have never seen Kevin Smith in anything else, but he gives a touching, warm performance; possibly the best acting in the film.
The actor who plays Fritz was one of the flaws of the movie, I thought he was lightweight or superficial. Another reviewer mentioned he has a Pepsodent smile, but I would go farther and say his whole performance was like a Pepsodent commercial.
Some reviewers have criticized the speed of the relationship between Gray and Fritz. I was not shocked by it because I think that there was already an underlying problem in Gray and Grady's relationship. The fact that it takes them 6 years to tie the knot in the absence of health or financial problems, indicates there was some kind of commitment issue. This is confirmed by Grady's parallel relationship with Juliette Lewis' character. Gray turns to Fritz out of grief for Grady's loss, and anger over the realization that she really did not know him; she also discovers the force of a new love; discovers feelings that she no longer felt for Grady, possibly passion. Listen well to her monologue to Grady during the garden ceremony. It is very telling.
Other reviewers have criticized the fact the we never see Grady and that this takes away from the story. Perhaps it would have been better to have a more defined image of Grady. I think this was an artistic decision to really focus the story on Gray and Grady's friends. I was not too disturbed by it.
I give this movie 4 stars because I would have wanted to see a better Fritz. It would have given more weight to the movie; and also there are some holes in the movie like Gray's family and friends (totally non-existent).
But all in all it's worth catching.....and keeping.
Movie Review: A pleasant surprise
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't have high expectations for this movie but it was actually pretty good. My biggest complaint is the raunchy sex scene in the very beginning that was distasteful- I understand its point, to see Fritz's personality but I think it could've been done better in another way.
Jennifer Garner, though the bigger name of the movie and the main character, is not the stand-out performance. Kevin Smith, as a fount of endless quotes (from boxes of tea), is hilarious as Sam. I personally have never seen any of his movies but he was great here- so real, silly, believable, and fun! He was the most multi-faceted character of the bunch- on one hand grieving for his best friend and trying to comfort his fiance and on the other talking/eating/drinking/fishing/overall goofing off self (oh he also seemed to roam around in his pj's a lot...) The little boy, Mattie, is also very cute and has some great, very funny scene-stealing moments. I won't ruin the surprise for you.
The romance, though it moves to the next level a little prematurely, was sweet. Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), depicted as a lothario of sorts, is actually a kind man and a true friend. As Gray says it makes sense that she falls for him because this was the man Grady was able to be himself with and she is too. (I agree with another reviewer that it would've been nice for "them" to show Grady in a flashback- to see how Gray was with him or to zoom in on his picture so we have an idea of what he looks like- to compare to the kid if nothing else.)
A movie worth renting if nothing else (I don't think it's a movie you'll watch more than once). It's a cute romance with some sad, real overtones about life, death, love, friendship. But it still leaves you with a smile on your face and that's the point of chick flicks... for the most part (cute guys don't hurt the mix, either).