Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Something's Gotta Give

Writer-Director Nancy Meyers has made a fun and very funny movie about the Ashton - Demi celebrity syndrome and its reverse in Something's Gotta Give. There is a complexity of relationships (but nothing as poorly executed as Love Actually) to be explored and sometimes it's laugh out loud. Yes, there are implied affairs and some skin (mostly Jack Nicholson's unimpressive rear) but remember: the play's the thing. Diane Keaton is Erica, a divorced writer of successful Broadway plays and Keanu Reeves the doctor who takes care of Harry (Jack) when he has a heart attack while trying to make out with Erica's daughter played by Amanda Peet. Erica ends up taking care of Harry for a week.

It's grown-up fare. However, it's nice to see people grow and change in credible ways - and middle aged people as real live human beings in mainstream media. Harry's life changes after the heart attack which is real, symptomatic and symbolic at the same time. (Towards the end, Harry does a "Schmidt" thing and goes on a journey where he learns as he brings "closure" to the hundred(s) of sexual - not loving - relationships he had with women for over a 40 year time span. Thankfully, we don't have to watch but a sample of women now rejecting him.)

Something's Gotta Give is a tiny bit too long, but worth it. Although the film starts off about the unconventional, guess how it ends? This isn't edgy movie making, but sometimes you just want - need - a good laugh. (And Keanu isn't too bad either.)

Here's one more movie that does the Casablanca thing: "We'll always have Paris".

OK. That works.

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