Deja vu – Sandra Bullock back in a role that’s quite similar to the one in While You Were Sleeping, and that church scene was just too familiar. The only difference with her character here was that she’s a super-successful workaholic.
Even with a generic, Hollywood-formula story; this movie had a great cast to make it entertaining.
Starting with the 87-year-old TV icon Betty White still has all that it takes to steal scenes from her younger and better looking cast-mates. She was the heart of the family in the story and one of the reasons the two lead characters fell for each other.
Craig T Nelson and Mary Steenburgen played Andrew's parents and provide additional drama and comedy. The downside was there wasn't enough room for Malin Akerman and funny-man Oscar Nunez to shine.
But nothing would have mattered had it not been for the blindingly-bright chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Both were great comedians in their own right and both played off each other so well with impeccable comedic timing that it's as if the script by Pete Chiarelli was tailored for the pair.
Let's face it, Bullock is no Meryl Streep (or at least not yet). But she managed to bring out her version of The Devil Wears Prada and nailed the hard-shell veneer with a soft and emotional centre down to generic perfection.
Reynolds definitely is an up-and-coming lead actor. He's been in quite a few big roles already but none that has made him a household name yet. If this movie didn't do it for him, he still will be come 2011 with his starring roles in two big budget comic book movies.
But one big disappointment here was the romance. The direction by Anne Fletcher was never clear enough to show exactly when both leads fell for each other. The audience had to be told that they were inexplicably in love, rather than feel their romance blossom.
Fortunately, the best thing about this movie, despite mediocre writing and a structured formula, was the spark and flair of the Reynolds-Bullock combo that sparkled just enough to steal your heart away.
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