Director: Adam McKay

Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Eva Mendes, Samuel L Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Stevenson, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans jr, Josef Sommer, Bobby Cannavale, Zach Woods, Zak Orth, Malachy McCourt, Brooke Shields, Rosie Perez, Ice-T, Anne Heche, Tracy Morgan.
Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, etc) takes the cliches of the odd couple/buddy cop formula and shakes them up with this pacy and enjoyable parody of the police procedural genre. Working on a script co-written with Chris Henchy, McKay hits all the right notes with far more success than Kevin Smith, who recently tackled this over worked genre with the v vaguely disappointing Cop Out. While The Other Guys may not quite be in the same league as the Lethal Weapon series or 48 Hours, it is still one of the better examples of this genre to hit the screens in recent times.
Our mismatched cops here are two of NYPD’s less than finest. Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) has been placed on desk duty since accidentally shooting a baseball star and costing the team a World Series. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a forensic accountant who prefers desk duty. They are the butt of squad room ridicule and practical jokes. The pair are “the other guys”, the ones who do the paperwork for the squad’s two superstar cops. Highsmith (Samuel L Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnston) are a headline grabbing pair who leave behind a trail of destruction and bodies whenever they work a case. When the pair die under improbable circumstances when taking one chance too many while chasing some bad guys, there is room for someone else willing to step up and take their place.
Hoitz is anxious to hit the streets and regain some credibility, and he reluctantly drags the nerdy pencil-pushing Gamble along with him. Gamble has established a paper trail that leads to rogue British financier and conman Erschon (Steve Coogan), who owes billions to some very nasty men, who are anxious to collect. But their efforts to arrest Erschon are continually thwarted.
There are a couple of wonderful running jokes throughout the film, including one concerning Gamble’s red Prius (“a mobile vagina”), and the other concerning Gamble’s inexplicable sex appeal to women. There is a very funny scene when Gamble invites Hoitz home to meet the “ball and chain”, and his “plain” wife turns out to be the very sexy Eva Mendes who inexplicably worships him.
The film offers up a fast paced mix of comedy and action that works principally due to the clever casting in the central roles. McKay accentuates the contrasts between his two stars and their different styles and personalities, but also manages to exploit the volatile chemistry.
This is the fourth collaboration between McKay and Ferrell, and he seems to know how to get the best out of his unpredictable star. Here Ferrell offers yet another variation of his usual shtick as the whining, mild-mannered man child, but he brings some welcome nuances to his performance that make this one of his better roles. McKay also taps into Wahlberg’s under used comic sensibility. He is good as the angry, foul-mouthed Hoitz, who is continually frustrated by his partner’s reticence. But McKay also gives Wahlberg plenty of scenes in which to flex his muscles as an action hero.
And Michael Keaton, who is rarely seen on screen these day, is also quite good as the typically gruff captain, who is also holding down a second job with Bed and Bath to put his bisexual son through a liberal arts degree. Jackson and Johnson also have fun sending up their screen images in the film’s energetic opening scenes.
McKay also proves a dab hand with the film’s few action sequences, and there are a couple of spectacular chase scenes that also deliver plenty of thrills and laughs. While the end credits roll we are reminded of numerous examples of corporate malfeasance and the huge cost of the Global Financial Crisis, which adds a sobering note to the film’s central subplot about white collar crime.
***

Directors: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud

Stars: voices of Steve Carell, Jason Siegel, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher.
Taking its cues from Pixar animation, Despicable Me is the first animated feature from Universal, and it is a winner! This is a wonderfully enjoyable family friendly animated film shot in 3D, and largely made in France. Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud (a former animator who worked on Ice Age 3, etc) take some risks with the material, and ensure that the film has broad appeal.
The “despicable character” of the title is a spy named Gru (voiced with a peculiar eastern European accent by Steve Carell), who considers himself a master criminal. Gru is a comic combination of a number of evil geniuses, including Bond’s nemesis Blofeld, Get Smart’s Siegfried, Austin Powers’ Dr Evil and Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. But lately his evil schemes have been thwarted by Vector (Jason Siegel), the new kid on the block, who has stolen the Great Pyramid right from under his nose.
From the basement of his suburban house, Gru plans to regain his reputation by pulling off the heist of the century. He is going to steal the moon! But first he has to get his hands on a shrinking ray, which is, unfortunately, in the clutches his formidable rival. However the Bank of Evil refuses to loan him money. Gru also reveals an unexpected softer side when he has to care for three cookie-selling orphan siblings Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher), who are the key to penetrating Vector’s well-protected lair.
The fierce rivalry between these two master villains is reminiscent of the classic Spy Vs Spy comic, while the physical and slapstick humour is more in keeping with the Road Runner series. While not quite in the same league as the animation from the Pixar studio, Despicable Me is full of spectacular animation. There is a brief roller coaster sequence that seems tacked on purely to highlight the 3D process. Gru’s minions – tiny, goggle-eyed, yellow creatures that constantly manage to stuff up even the simplest instructions - provide much of the laughs and virtually steal the film. Their cute antics will please younger audiences.
However, the clever script from Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (College Road Trip, etc) and former animator Sergio Pablos is the key to the film’s winning humour. The writers avoid the usual lazy pop cultural references and in-jokes that are the hallmark of much of today’s animated features, and opt for some darker humour and easy sentiment. Its themes of belonging, the importance of family and self-esteem will appeal to older audiences.
The fabulous vocal cast includes Russell Brand as Dr Nefario, a scooter-bound evil scientist, and Julie Andrews nicely cast against type as Gru’s shrewish mother who used to belittle his dreams and ambitions. There are also contributions from Kristen Wiig and Will Arnett.
***

Director: J Blakeson

Stars: Gemma Arterton, Eddie Marsan, Martin Compston.
The new British thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed was one of the stand out films at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
Two ex-cons kidnap Alice Creed, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and hold her for ransom in their dingy apartment. In the opening montage we see their meticulous preparations, including sound-proofing the bedroom and installing several locks on the doors. The crime is executed with brisk efficiency, but then things begin to slowly fall apart. While the two kidnappers await a response to their demands, the balance of power within the confined apartment constantly changes.
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed marks the first feature film from young British director J Blakeson, who is better known for his short films. Although seemingly shot on the smell of an oily rag, Blakeson has made an impressive debut with this sharply written thriller. He directs the material with ruthless efficiency and ratchets up the suspense.
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed is a terrifically taut, tense and claustrophobic thriller. It is very theatrical in its staging, with only three people in the cast and most of the action confined to a couple of cramped interior locations. However, it has plenty of twists and turns and a palpable air of menace that keep the audience hooked. Like other very stagy British thrillers that featured a small cast and claustrophobic settings – the original Sleuth, Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave and the recent 44 Inch Chest, etc – this is a sinewy beast that continually subverts the audiences’ expectations.
Blakeson is assisted wonderfully by a trio of strong performances that get inside the skin of their characters as they casually betray each other and try to gain the upper hand.
There is a compelling and menacing turn from Eddie Marsan (the driving instructor in Mike Leigh’s Happy Go Lucky, etc), who is excellent as the reptilian and volatile Vic, who constantly seems ready to erupt into violence. Martin Compston, who made his debut as the fresh-faced protagonist in Ken Loach’s bitter Sweet Sixteen, is good as the junior partner Danny, who is naïve, nervous, trusting and clearly out of his depth. And former Bond girl Gemma Arterton (Clash Of The Titans, Prince Of Persia, etc) makes the most of her role as the titular character, who spends much of the time bound and gagged. At first seeming like a helpless victim, she finds hidden strength and resilience to try and outwit her two captors in a compelling battle of wits.
After having put both the title character and the audience through an emotional wringer for the better part of two hours, the film ends on an unnerving but satisfying note.
****

Director: Chris Liontos

Stars: Jeff “Joffa” Corfe.
Here’s further proof that I will go and see just about anything at the cinema!
Joffa The Movie is part documentary and part mockumentary about Jeff “Joffa” Corfe, the charismatic and flamboyant Collingwood supporter who dons the iconic gold lame jacket emblazoned with the words “GAME OVER” whenever it is apparent that Collingwood has won the football match. A colourful and “love him or hate him” character, Joffa is a fanatical Collingwood supporter and passionate member of the club’s cheer squad, and he wears his heart on his sleeve.
But not much is known about him beyond football. And frankly, this documentary doesn’t reveal all that much. A couple of revealing interviews with the man himself informs us that his daughter is aboriginal, that he has close connections with the indigenous community at Lake Tyers, and is involved in some sort of charity work with homeless people.
But after merely scratching the surface, debut writer/director Chris Liontos then stretches the thin material out to feature length by opting to turn Joffa’s life into a lacklustre and misguided Kenny-style mockumentary, full of larrikin humour, themes of mateship, and lame attempts at comedy.
Ionitis follows Joffa and his best mate, the hapless Shane McRae, as they operate their second rate lawn mowing operation in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The knockabout pair also do casual labour jobs for one of his mates on a couple of building sites. This allows some opportunities for slapstick humour and pratfalls. But the banter and antics of this pair make the infantile and laboured local comedy You And Your Stupid Mate seem sophisticated by comparison.
Liontos has been hamstrung by the limitations of his minuscule $200,000 budget. He has been unable to have a long rehearsal period nor the luxury of extensive reshoots, and consequently much of the film seems improvised and unpolished. However, there is a journey to London allowing Joffa to visit Celtic United’s home ground. There are also appearances from Father Bob McGuire, who appears to be a good sport in allowing himself to be part of the film, while football commentator Kevin Bartlett participates in one amusing moment.
“The whole thing has been terribly embarrassing,” says a rueful Joffa at one point, talking about his association with Shane. What can one add to this refreshingly honest appraisal? The whole thing is embarrassingly awful and amateurish, and painful to watch.
In fact, the only thing more excruciating than sitting through this film would be to endure watching Collingwood win another premiership.

Director: Marc Gracie

Stars: Gary Sweet, Louise Crawford, Hazem Shammas, Suzannah Bayes-Morton.
The Tumbler, which premiered at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival in 2009, is getting a limited cinema release. This genre piece is a potentially exciting caper thriller that unfortunately proves to be a disappointment. Which is a pity because I wanted to enjoy this film more!
Two men wander out of the Central Australian desert and stumble into a military base. While the rest of the joint US/Australian forces are out on manoeuvres, the base is being guarded by a disenchanted lone US soldier Jen (Louise Crawford, from tv series City Homicide, etc). The two men are Hurtle Hamilton (Gary Sweet) and Tahir (Hazem Shammas, from Underbelly, in his first feature film role).
Tahir is a soft-spoken Afghani-Australian who tells of a fortune in gold bars that was abandoned in a safe on the base at the end of World War II. He has recruited Hamilton, a veteran safe-cracker (or “tumbler”), to break into the safe. Hamilton has agreed to do this one last job in the hope that it will enable him to retire comfortably. Jen, who is facing a court martial for her actions in Afghanistan, asks for a piece of the action as well. The three search the underground bunkers for the gold. But Tahir has an agenda of his own, which only becomes clear too late.
The film has a terrific central idea and deals with the issue of Australia’s past nuclear tests and their legacy, the more imminent threat of global terrorism, and even indigenous land rights. But there are just too many unexplained details and gaps in its logic and it needed stronger editing in the early development stages. The limitations of the low budget are obvious in the film’s production design – the military base is just one tent, and there is a lack of authenticity to this setting.

Director Marc Gracie, a former film producer and lead singer with local band Bwana, has made his name with tv comedies, like The Adventures Of Lano and Woodley, and the rather unfunny and laboured feature film You And Your Stupid Mate. Here he manages to milk some claustrophobic tension from the bunker scenes, and there is a modicum of genuine suspense. But it is let down by an underdeveloped script from writer Christopher Thompson, a regular collaborator with Gracie.
However, the film has been beautifully shot on location in Broken Hill by cinematographer Justin Brickle (Let’s Get Skase, etc). Brickle has worked with Gracie before and they obviously have a good relationship and an eye for striking visuals, and they imbue the harsh terrain with a sense of menace.
Gracie has assembled a good cast, who do their best with the material. Veteran Sweet in particular brings a raw masculinity and cynical touch to his performance. Suzannah Bayes-Morton plays an indigenous postie whose presence here really makes no sense, even though she gets to play a key role in the film’s climax.
The Tumbler is yet another example of a local genre piece that has potential, but is let down by a half-baked script. While Australia can produce world class directors, actors and Oscar calibre cinematographers, we seem to have a problem nurturing and developing scriptwriters capable of producing gripping and tightly written film scripts.

**1/2

Director: Jon Turtletaub

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Monica Belluci, Alice Krige, Toby Kebbell, Omar benson Miller, Jake Cherry.
A battle between a good sorcerer and an evil wizard, with no less than the fate of the world at stake lies at the heart of this new collaboration between Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer, a partnership that gave us the incredibly successful Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy.
The prologue, set in 700AD, tells the story of a struggle between the legendary Merlin and the evil Morgana, a powerful witch who has crossed over to the dark side. Merlin’s favourite apprentice Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) is able to capture Morgana and her evil offsider Horvath and lock them away in a magical grimhold, a kind of nesting doll. But he needs to find “the prime Merlinian”, a special sorcerer who will be able to destroy Morgana for once and for all. For several centuries, Balthazar travels the world looking for that special magician.
Cut to 20th century New York, where he finds a likely prospect in nerdy physics student Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel, from She’s Out Of My League, etc). Dave first encountered Balthazar as a curious ten-year old, an encounter that has left his with a slew of psychological issues. Balthazar takes Dave under his wing and tutors him in the magical arts. Meanwhile Balthazar’s arch nemesis Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) is also on the loose, looking for the grimhold so that he can free Morgana and bring about the destruction of mankind. The two sorcerers wage their own personal war across New York, ranging from Chinatown to Battery Park.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is the kind of mindless, crowd-pleasing entertainment that director Jon Turtletaub (National Treasure, etc) excels at. The film takes its title from the sequences in Disney’s classic 1940 animated feature Fantasia in which Mickey Mouse, as a sorcerer’s apprentice, tried to control an army of mops and buckets, set to Dukas’s glorious music. Here Turtletaub recreates that scene using CGI mops and brooms. While nowhere near as impressive and eye popping as the animated original, the sequence will probably wow younger audiences unaware of Fantasia.
However, this soulless recreation of the classic scene sadly sums up this whole movie. Several writers have contributed to this lazy succession of cliches and hodge-podge of potentially interesting ideas, although it seems to be less than the sum of its parts. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a special effects driven film that boasts a number of impressive individual sequences – stone eagles coming to life, a fire breathing dragon wreaking havoc in Chinatown, a car chase through the streets of Manhattan, and plenty of thunderbolts flying around. Turtletaub is a dab hand at this sort of thing, and he handles the visual effects well.
Turtletaub has gone for the obvious casting choices here. Cage again essays one of his eccentric characterisations, but he still comes across as a rather uninteresting actor simply going through the motions until the next pay cheque. Molina is the best thing here; he revels in his role and all but steals the film as the villain of the piece. Baruchel again plays to his strengths as the nervous, insecure oddball, and he is also quite good. Aussie actress Teresa Palmer provides the romantic interest for Baruchel’s character. Monica Belluci and Alice Krige are wasted in small, thankless roles.
**1/2

Director: Nicole Holofcener

Stars: Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet, Rebecca Hall, Sarah Steele, Ann Guilbert, Lois Smith, Thomas Ian Nicholas.
Nicole Holofcener’s films are more character-driven than plot driven, and they explore complex relationships and the elusive connections between a disparate group of people. Please Give is her fourth feature, after Walking And Talking, Lovely & Amazing, and Friends With Money. Please Give was originally known as Feelin’ Guilty, a much better title that is representative of the film’s main themes of guilt, fear, conflicting values, privilege, insecurity, and death.
Kate (Catherine Keener) and her husband Alex (Oliver Platt) are a well to do middle class couple who buy antiques and furniture from the grand-children of dead people and sell them at inflated prices through their own shop. She feels twinges of guilt, and occasionally assuages her conscience by giving money or food to homeless people she encounters in her neighbourhood. Although her actions are well meaning, they sometimes lead to embarrassing situations, such as the time Kate invited an elderly lady into their apartment so she could have a shower.
Kate and Alex have purchased the adjacent apartment, which is the home of the perennially whining and ungrateful 91 year old Andra (Ann Guilbert). They are waiting for her to die so they can then take over the apartment and renovate. This situation often leads to embarrassing and uncomfortable encounters with her two grand daughters Mary (Amanda Peet) and Rebecca (Rebecca Hall).
Mary gives facial treatments in a local beauty and health spa, but is something of a “bitch” who doesn’t have anything nice to say about anybody. She has been left emotionally scarred by a failed relationship. The socially withdrawn and shy Rebecca gives mammograms to elderly ladies, and is the only genuine, sympathetic and nice character in this mix. She deserves whatever happiness she finds with her new boyfriend Eugene (Thomas Ian Nicholas), the grandson of one of her patients.
The characters here are largely a dislikeable bunch, but Holofcener is a perceptive writer who offers some keen insight into these imperfect characters and their motivations that almost makes the film worthwhile. Her dialogue is literate, sharply written and credible, laced with ironic humour and astute observations about human foibles. Her writing is often reminiscent of Woody Allen at his sharpest, and Holofcener’s love for New York is obvious. However, the film is let down by a couple of unconvincing plot developments.
Holofcener draws excellent performances from her cast. Keener, a regular who has appeared in all of Holofcener’s previous films, is strong as Kate and effortlessly portrays her sense of guilt over her successes. Peet is nicely sharp as the flinty and provocative Mary. Guilbert is nicely arch and abrasive as the appallingly mean spirited Andra. Sarah Steele is also good as Kate’s selfish and image obsessed teenaged daughter Abby.
Holofcener’s film’s are wry observations of adults and their imperfections and doubts, and are made for adults. Please Give is no different. In fact, it may well be her most easily accessible film yet.
**1/2

Australian filmmaking Dream Team at Cinema Nova this Tuesday

Australian filmmaking Dream Team at Cinema Nova Tuesday August 17

Australian husband and wife filmmakers NADIA TASS and DAVID PARKER, the award-winning team behind ‘Malcolm’, ‘The Big Steal’ and ‘Amy’, will make an appearance at Cinema Nova to discuss their new film MATCHING JACK. Shot in Melbourne, this is their first Australian feature film in more than a decade. Join Nadia and David at Cinema Nova for a preview screening of MATCHING JACK, followed by a Q&A this Tuesday August 17 at 6.30pm.

A powerful emotional comedy/drama, MATCHING JACK features an all-star cast including Jacinda Barrett (New York I Love You, The Last Kiss); Irish actor James Nesbitt (TV’s Cold Feet, Bloody Sunday); Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge!); Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Romulus My Father); and Yvonne Strahovski (I Love You Too).

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Stars: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Devon Bostick, Rachel Harris, Steve Zahn, Grayson Russell, Laine MacNeill, Andrew Mcnee.

This appealing and very enjoyable film follows the misadventures of Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon, from National Treasure 2, Madagascar 2, etc) during his first year attending the “intellectual wasteland” that is middle school.
He is determined to be one of the most popular kids in his year level, but the harder he tries the more he stuffs up. He tries out for the wrestling team, the school play and even the after school safety patrol, with disastrous results. As well as dealing with the daily humiliations of his failures, the taunts of bullies and man girls, at home he has to contend with his older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick), who loves playing practical jokes, and his clueless parents (Rachel Harris and Steve Zahn). But Greg’s efforts to improve his popularity also create a rift between himself and his naïve best friend Rowley (Robert Capron).
Greg maintains a diary – sorry, journal – in which he records his thoughts and fears about starting middle school. “One day when I’m famous I’ll have better things to do than answer peoples’ stupid questions all day,” he comments in one of his many asides to the audience. The journal and its clever illustrations becomes a record of his trials and tribulations and shortcomings. It also painfully documents those hard lessons he learns throughout his doomed quest to become the most popular kid in school.
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is based on the best selling series of illustrated books written by Jeff Kinney, and is packed with plenty of incidents and some amusing situations. Co-writers Jackie and Jeff Filgo and Gabe Sachs have worked on a number of tv series like That ‘70’s Show, Mad About You and Freaks And Geeks, so there is wit and style behind the material.
Director Thor Freudenthal (Hotel For Dogs, etc) demonstrates a sure touch with the material here, and he also shows an affinity for working with younger actors. He draws enthusiastic performances from his cast that bring the characters to life.
Zachary Gordon is another of those precocious and confident young actors that the Hollywood production line seems to churn out on a regular basis and then, more often than not, chews them up and spits them out again. His articulate voice over narration adds insights into his character, and also brings a touch of ironic humour to the material. He even makes his superficial and selfish character likeable, and we sympathise with him as his popularity plummets after every disaster. Chloe Moretz’s supporting role here as Angie, the outspoken and seemingly wise reporter for the school newspaper, is a far cry from her recent turn as a foul-mouthed assassin in the comic book adaptation Kick-Ass. She seemed way too young for that role, and here she somehow seems too old.
“Who wants to see a movie about a kid who’s stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons?” asks Greg at one stage. The answer is that this surprisingly enjoyable film will resonate with audiences of all ages Diary Of A Wimpy Kid offers a wonderfully wry and refreshingly cynical view of this awkward time in a kid’s life as they approach adolescence. It is neither patronising nor sugar-coated, as so often happens with children’s films.
***

Director: Nanette Burstein

Stars: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Natalie Morales, Kristen Scaal, Rob Riggle, Kelli Garner, Jim Gaffigan, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Matt Servitto.
Going The Distance essentially sets out to explore the complications involved in maintaining a relationship when one partner lives and works in New York and the other lives across the country on the west coast.
But those expecting this to be a lightweight and fluffy romantic comedy may be a little shocked at its unexpectedly raunchy nature. Toilet humour, ribald dialogue, nudity, and deliberately gross out moments shape much of the humour here. This gross out factor seems to have become the norm with most romantic comedies since Judd Apatow shook up the rather formulaic and increasingly bland genre with Knocked Up, etc. This kind of thing may work when dealing with horny adolescents (American Pie, Porky’s, and their ilk), but when the characters are supposed to be more mature and stable it ends up being sadly misjudged.
Erin (Drew Barrymore) is a journalism student doing an internship with a major New York newspaper over the summer. One night at a bar she meets record company A&R man Garrett (Justin Long), who has just been dumped by a former girlfriend. The two hit it off immediately and romance blossoms. Erin tells Garrett up front that she will be returning to San Francisco in six weeks to continue her studies. They agree to keep it light and not make a commitment. However, during the next six weeks, they fall in love, and the separation becomes hard. Can their relationship survive the tyranny of distance? Can they remain monogamous? What about the frustration from unsatisfying phone sex? Which of the partners will be willing to give up their job and comfortable lifestyle and move closer to the other?
Going The Distance is the first film from writer Geoff LaTulippe, and explores these themes in perfunctory fashion. This is the first feature film from documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein, who is better known for the revealing American Teen, and The Kid Stays In The Picture, a warts and all look at the life and turbulent career of Paramount Studios head Robert Evans.
Barrymore and Long, who both appeared in the ensemble romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into You, have been a real life couple off screen. That relationship makes their on screen relationship here easy going and credible and the pair have a real easy going chemistry that lifts the film. Barrymore is always a good actress, and is amiable enough here even though she sometimes appears a little uncomfortable with some of the dialogue given to her sassy and outspoken character. Long trades on his boyish looks and nerdy personality again.
Christina Applegate is good as Corinne, Erin’s acerbic and protective sister. We also get to meet Gerrett’s two best friends – his roommate Dan (Charlie Day) comes across rather like the sort of sad sack loser that Zach Galifianakis played in The Hangover, while Box (Jason Sudeikis, from SNL and The Cleveland Show, etc) has a thing for older women.
There are a few laugh-out loud moments here, but for the most part Going The Distance proves to be something of a disappointment.
**1/2