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Is it worth $10? No
“The Switch” is yet another example of why Jennifer Aniston is not a movie star. The longer she continues to play Rachel from “Friends,” the harder it is for her to break away and do something interesting. Oddly, the movie is often sweet and funny in spite of her, not because of her.
Thankfully Jason Bateman is in top form. He plays Wally, a pessimistic and self-absorbed nice guy who’s been Kassie’s (Aniston) best friend for years. She tells him her fertility clock is ticking, “life is in session” and that she wants to have a baby via artificial insemination. He objects, and is no doubt hurt by the notion that she doesn’t want his neurotic sperm.
Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck could save us 100 minutes of standard rom-com trifling if Wally and Kassie would realize they’re in love at this juncture, but no. Kassie moves away, seven years pass, and Wally finally meets her son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) when they return to New York. Wally notes that he and the kid have a lot in common, then remembers that he drunkenly replaced the sperm sample of the donor (Patrick Wilson) with his own.
What’s surprising is that Kassie knows Wally so well, and yet never notices the similarities between Wally and Sebastian. She’s either A) really dumb, B) in denial, or most likely C) totally oblivious to what’s right in front of her.
You know with a story like this that the longer it takes Wally to tell Kassie what he did the more agonizing the film will be. Wally comes so, so close to telling her the first time that you can’t help but think how much better and different the movie could’ve been if he came clean. But he doesn’t tell her, and as a result the final third of the movie is as predictable as they come.
Fortunately, overall it’s a sweet story with a good heart that keeps things light. Aniston is barely noticeable as the lead, but nice supporting performances from Juliette Lewis and Jeff Goldblum (as the token comic relief friends who offer advice) keep the laughs coming.
And then there’s Bateman, who’s had his own struggles on the big screen (“Extract”). A lesser actor would’ve taken Wally’s neurosis and made a caricature of it, but Bateman keeps Wally nicely contained while delivering his perfect comic timing. We like him, and because we like him – and not necessarily Aniston – we like the movie.
So yes, “The Switch” is a perfectly pleasant, affable experience. But the bottom line is that it isn’t funny/cute/sweet/endearing enough to recommend. It’s close, but not close enough.
Did you know?
After a two month casting search in New York and Los Angeles to find the right Sebastian, six year-old Thomas Robinson was found. “He had the perfect balance of vulnerability and introspection that the character demands, and he happens to look a lot like Jason Bateman,” director Will Gordon said.
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floresmiami
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... You know Dan, I liked the film enough to reccomend it to friends. The Give and take between Bateman and Robinson was good enough that it balanced out the script's obvoius and predictable conclusion. However, the key question is exactly as you put it; Is it worth $10. Thanks for the opportunity to attend the screening. |
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