Just Go With It" (2011)

"This movie is exactly what you think it's going to be."



Just Go With It wants to sweep us along in a web of lies and hilarity, pleading with us to like it as it serves up one tired gag after another without actually daring to do anything worthwhile. The simple demand Just Go With It becomes not only helpful words of advice, but also an easy excuse and eventually a desperate appeal.
Danny (Adam Sandler) is a successful plastic surgeon who gets his long-time assistant and friend Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend to be his ex-wife in order to cover up a lie he tells to Palmer, a hot girl (Brooklyn Decker) he has fallen in love with. As things get more serious between Danny and Palmer, everything starts to spin out of control when it soon appears that Danny and Katherine have kids, and after a few more lies, everyone ends up in Hawaii trying to get to know one another. As time progresses, what was merely a fake relationship to help a friend begins to grow into something more, but will Danny and Katherine recognize it for what it is?
Setting aside the implausibility of the entire venture, the illogical leaps and bounds that are endlessly more confusing than simply telling the truth would have been, the fact of the matter remains: this is the sort of film that doesn't add anything substantial to the world of comedy. There's nothing quotable and nothing particularly memorable. It's fine while it's happening to you, but as soon as you leave the theater, the events of the past two hours are whisked from the mind almost as if they never happened.
There are a few laughs, mostly at the theatrical antics of the two kids (Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) or the annoying but amiable cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson), but the bulk of the film that relies on Aniston and Sandler is regrettably non-hilarious. The real scene-stealers are the stunning Nicole Kidman as an old college frenemy of Aniston's, alongside a droll and preening Dave Matthews (yes,that Dave Matthews). Kidman and Matthews are truly fun to watch, charming and engaging in all the best ways.
Throughout the course of the film, the question "Why?" popped into my mind about a thousand times. It's ludicrous to believe that Decker's character would be stupid enough to believe anything these people are telling her, but, you know, just go with it. Also silly are the multiple ridiculous attempts to make Jennifer Aniston look anything other than stunning, see: she's wearing glasses, her hair is so frumpy, she's such a mom. But Aniston is gorgeous, as Decker's character points out on at least five separate occasions, but you know what to do by now: just go with it.
Aniston is a gifted physical comedienne, and Sandler has the capacity to elicit laughs, so why aren't they funny together? The script is convoluted and here and there seems to be missing some obvious plot developments, probably cut to slim down an already lengthy film. The chemistry between Sandler and Aniston is evident, and Aniston makes a good foil for Sandler, but Sandler doesn't give her much to work with, relying mainly on a few running gags that shouldn't have survived the first draft of the script.
Just Go With It is very nearly two hours long, and it's difficult to figure out why. The relationship between Decker's Palmer and Sandler's Danny is rushed and underdeveloped in order to move us right along into the thick of the confusion in Hawaii as everyone except Palmer is in on the joke: trying to help the erstwhile Danny win her heart. Palmer is well-meaning, sweet, and beautiful, but the burgeoning feelings between Danny and Katherine are undeniable and ultimately the audience isn't sure where to commit. There's no real villain here, just pretty people trying to make their way in the world. Which isn't terrible compelling, and since it isn't compelling, it sure as heck should be funny. Which it isn't.
This movie is exactly what you think it's going to be: entirely predictable, minimally funny, and fairly dull. If you're a huge fan of anyone in the film, go see it, but otherwise just wait and rent it.

0 comentarii:

Trimiteți un comentariu

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites