FRIENDS WITH KIDS
- Author:
- Angela Bennetts
- Posted:
- Monday, 11 June 2012
Reuniting the Bridesmaids gang (Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd) but forgetting to pack the funnies, is this Jennifer Westfeldt-written and directed treatment of modern relationships, parenting, and staying sane somewhere in between.
Best friends Jason (Scott, Parks & Recreation) and Julie (Westfeldt, Kissing Jessica Stein) witness their friends’ lives and relationships crumble after being hit with kids (who, apparently, are as destructive as meteors). Both are single, both hip Manhattanites looking for ‘the one’ (him: she needs a big rack, her: he needs to be tall). Wanting offspring nonetheless, they hit on the genius idea of having one together. COS NOTHING COULD EVER GO WRONG WITH THAT PLAN.
It’s pretty predictable where this movie ends up; and to its credit, it follows its cosmic path in a more nuanced, interesting way than you might expect (special points to Scott). However what could’ve been a minefield of insight into the human condition is let down by a sorely underused comedic cast (Wiig especially), and overuse of rom-com clichés. Plus the final scene is a corker – and probably not in a good way. (AB) ***
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Story posted on Monday, 11 June 2012, filed under Movies. Follow responses via the RSS feed.
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