Re: Term 2 Holiday Discussion!
walrusbear said:
i thought it was ok
i'm guessing the massive response is in part due to its 'competence' amongst so much awfulness
OTM.
to expand, i'd say that most critics are praising it for its handcrafted integrity - the fact that apatow casts his wife and kids in major roles, gives his actors generous room to improvise, etc. - and generally the fact that it's a great
model for how hollywood comedies should be done, rather than a great film. those aspects do put it above most mainstream romcoms, but i think he gives too much freedom to the actors (the beard jokes are hit-or-miss, and there's way too much reliance in pop culture references for 'authenticity') and it's quite bloated, with far too many dopey acoustic-scored interludes to compensate for dramatic momentum.
still, i lol'ed a bit and enjoyed watching it, though also felt a bit let down. the entire vegas sequence was the best ("that chair is droll", LMAO).
3/5