"So Let it Be Written... So Let it Be Done"

The life and times of a real, down to earth, nice guy. A relocated New Englander formerly living somewhere north of Boston, but now soaking up the bright sun of southwestern Florida (aka The Gulf Coast) for over nine years. Welcome to my blog world. Please leave it as clean as it was before you came. Thanks for visiting, BTW please leave a relevant comment so I know you were here. No blog spam, please. (c) MMV-MMXIX Court Jester Productions & Bamford Communications

Saturday, September 22, 2007

SNMR 3.27: "Catch and Release"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Catch and Release" (2007, PG-13, 124 minutes), starring Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Jaeger, Kevin Smith and Juliette Lewis. The film was written and directed by Susannah Grant.

I had wanted to see this film in the theater when it came out, simply because I am a huge Jennifer Garner fan. When I saw it in the library recently on the new release shelf, I couldn't resist seeing what I had missed.

From the DVD's dust case:
After the death of her fiancee, Gray (Jennifer Garner) moves in with her late love's best friends. While Sam (Kevin Smith) and Dennis (Sam Jaeger) do their best to cheer Gray up, Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) doesn't seem to care. Once Gray breaks through Fritz's defenses, however, she finally sees why her fiancee thought so highly of him. As they spend more time together, Gray learns that her chances for love have not died out with her fiancee. But when some surprise guests show up on their doorstep, it'll take the love of all her new friends to help Gray learn that life may be messy, but love is messier.


From Muze, Inc:
Screenwriter Susannah Grant makes her directorial debut in this tale of love, loss, and finding new love. Gray Wheeler’s (Jennifer Garner) wedding day is not going as planned. Instead of walking down the aisle in her wedding gown, she is at the funeral of her fiancee, Grady, following his accidental death on a trip meant to be his bachelor party. To make ends meet, Gray puts her things in storage and moves in with Grady’s roommates, levelheaded and attentive Dennis (Sam Jaeger) and quirky yet lovable Sam (Kevin Smith). With childhood friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) in from L.A. and crashing on the couch, it’s a full house. Inhabiting Grady’s old room, Gray soon learns that her fiancee had been keeping some big secrets from her and may not have been the man she thought he was. Perhaps more importantly, she discovers some surprising things about herself, and her ability to heal and love again. Each of the characters in this film has to find a way to survive the devastating loss of a man who held them all together. Garner effectively conveys Gray’s heartbreak and confusion without going over the top. As Fritz, Olyphant pulls off the role of the mystery man who is always charming but often misunderstood. Jaeger is earnest and heartfelt as Grady’s roommate and business partner. But Smith is the scene-stealer here, with deadpan delivery and great timing as a Celestial Seasonings employee spouting philosophical quotes from the herbal tea company’s packaging. Juliette Lewis appears as a sexy, slightly flaky, Californian massage therapist who is also a skeleton in Grady’s closet.


Clearly this is not one of Jennifer Garner's best roles. There are too many holes all over this film to pin its shortcomings on the main star. The premise of the story is interesting: how you deal with the sudden death of your soon-to-be spouse, then what do you do with the rest of your life? The script is mediocre at best and the direction is far from stellar. The story had so much potential but left me feeling flat and uninspired. I did not like Fritz, played by Olyphant, in this film. I think they could have cast anyone else in his role and the film, as it is, would have been better. I would only recommend this film if you are a die-hard fan of Garner's and then only if you have nothing better to do. I generally like romantic comedies, but I'm glad I was able to see this one for free, after all. I'll give this film two out of five stars.

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5 Comments:

At 23 September, 2007 12:18, Blogger EstherNow said...

How is it that you got to see this movie for free, Green??? Doooooooo tell. Jennifer Garner has a new movie to open this Friday entitled "Kingdom." It looks like a serious role along the lines of a thriller.

 
At 23 September, 2007 15:44, Blogger Tim said...

Aaaaaah, esther dear - most public libraries have expanding dvd & video collections these days.

I can't wait to see "The Kingdom". Ot looks like Garner's role will be much like her ALIAS character, Sydney Bristow. Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman aren't a bad supporting cast, either....

 
At 23 September, 2007 18:25, Blogger Stephanie Faris said...

It was based on a chick lit book, right? For some reason I was thinking that. I did enjoy the movie. Jennifer Garner has screen presence.

 
At 23 September, 2007 19:06, Blogger Tuyet said...

I have not seen this movie, but I just stopped by to tell you I met someone from Nashua! Her name is Justine Geraghty. Do you know her?

 
At 24 September, 2007 01:23, Blogger Southern Sweetheart said...

I've teetered on whether or not to see this movie --- as I somewhat lived it myself. Haven't seen it yet and for some reason I doubt I will --- memories are left in yesteryear for what might have been.

 

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