Writer-director John Hamburg, (writer of ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS), teams once again with Ben Stiller to make an offbeat character study that is guaranteed to induce helpless laughter. Reuben, an overanxious insurance risk analyst (Stiller), weighs his every action by assessing pros and cons. He finds himself dumped on .. Read more
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing |
|---|---|
| Director | John Hamburg, John Hamburg |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
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Writer-director John Hamburg, (writer of ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS), teams once again with Ben Stiller to make an offbeat character study that is guaranteed to induce helpless laughter. Reuben, an overanxious insurance risk analyst (Stiller), weighs his every action by assessing pros and cons. He finds himself dumped on his honeymoon by fickle wife Lisa (Debra Messing) who runs off with Jacques, a nudist scuba instructor (Hank Azaria). A few days later, Reuben is back in New York at a pretentious gallery opening, wondering why he's bothering to test the waters so soon, when along comes Polly Price (Jennifer Aniston), a quirky, worldly, adventurous soul, whose only flaw appears to be a generalised lack of commitment. The formerly germ-obsessed, controlling Reuben is transformed by Polly's free spirit, her predilection for spicy food, and her pet ferret. Her love of salsa dancing makes him jealous and painfully uncomfortable. But his heart is aflame.
Hamburg, who began his directorial career with SAFE MEN, has proven himself a reliable producer of charming realism and a brand of comedy comparable to that of the Farrelly brothers. Editor William Kerr has an extraordinary sense of comic timing, which gives ALONG CAME POLLY's funny factor a boost. Stiller's salsa solo is striking--the actor is actually an amazing dancer. Last but not least, Philip Seymour Hoffman (PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, FLAWLESS) nearly steals the show as Reuben's best friend Sandy Lyle who plays both Jesus and Judas in a community production of GODSPELL.
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing, Alec Baldwin, Hank Azaria, Bryan Brown |
|---|---|
| Director | John Hamburg, John Hamburg |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 26 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Rom-Coms |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Language | English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 02 Jul 2004 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
The problem with this film from Meet the Parents co-writer John Hamburg is that it doesn't know what kind of comedy it wants to be. Predominantly, it's an agreeable romantic comedy, derivative yet cute, with Ben Stiller playing an overly cautious risk assessor who falls for wild former school pal Jennifer Aniston after his new wife cheats on him during their honeymoon. Stiller and Aniston's performances are reassuringly familiar, demonstrating a comfortable chemistry that's enjoyable to watch. However, getting gentle amusement from the foibles of modern romance is evidently insufficient for Hamburg, who insists upon throwing in incongruous gross-out humour that would make even the Farrelly Brothers wince. Such attempts to widen the movie's appeal give it an entirely uneven tone, and turn the usually brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman into a nausea-inducing horror as Stiller's vulgar best friend. Ultimately, it's the characters' pratfalls and behavioural idiosyncrasies that provide the loudest laughs, but more genuine bite, particularly dialogue-wise, could have worked wonders.
For a man who doesn't like to take chances, Reuben Feffer (Stiller) isn't slow at coming forward. A fortnight after a... read more on Time Out
Unimaginative dross. Tries to cash in on the success of similar (and better) romantic comedies of the past but fails dramatically. Typical Ben Stiller formula: falls in love, always unlucky, events always conspiring against him, gets girl, the end. 1 star awarded because Anniston is actually okay in this and manages, to a certain degree, to throw off her 'Rachel from Friends' shackles.
This movie has a lot going for it: a strong cast, an even stronger look and a good premise (though it's not new). What lets it down is the script and the lack of anything going on. The comedy is also not novel and sometimes, actually, quite rubbish. Performances by the cast, however, are sincere. There is nothing in this movie that you cannot find elsewhere; and perhaps finding it elsewhere will be the safer option...