IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343135/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTXS-5D_U8k
BEFORE THE VIEWING
Unlike the romantic comedy I just reviewed, "Along Came Polly" is a pretty standard rom com - one straight-laced person, one wild child, somehow making love work odd-couple style.
I don't remember much about this movie, other than Jennifer Aniston being a bit of a mess (but totally pulling it off), and Ben Stiller being a non-ironic, non-caricature of a person (but only kinda pulling it off).
The one thing that does get me excited about is the supporting role of Philip Seymour-Hoffman (RIP) who plays the chunky-but-lovable best friend in this movie. I remember him from so many grittier, dramatic roles, so it should be fun to see him in something different.
AFTER THE VIEWING
Okay, so this is gonna be super harsh...but this movie is sorta everything I detest about romances portrayed in film. Maybe my perspective is skewed, because I'm the child of a divorced home, but I have a pretty low tolerance for incompatibility, and the compromises that people end up making to try and salvage something that just...doesn't...work. The main characters of this film are just not going to fit, long term, but instead of having any honest dialogue about it, when the topic of being too different comes up, Polly just jumps Reuben's bones. Ugh.
Reuben (Stiller) also feels like a super hollow character to me, and not the type of dude I've ever encountered - someone who defines a first date as a "defining moment" in his life, and goes from thinking it could never work out one night, to considering marriage with the same person the next morning. What the hell? How about you have a life of your own, Reuben, instead of letting women define your every thought and emotion?
I had hoped that Philip Seymour-Hoffman would be a fun distraction from this trainwreck of a romance, but no; he ended up being a disgusting, washed-up has-been with on over-inflated ego who offered misguided advice to his dumbass friend, Reuben. The "sharted" joke was a particularly brutal scene to watch, because even though it was funny, it belittled the talents of an actor we all know was capable of roles with far more depth and humor.
The cameos I ended up enjoying most added up to about 15 minutes of airtime. First, there was the immensely-talented Hank Azaria, who played a SCUBA lothario at the beginning and end of the film. We also caught brief glimpses of Kevin Hart and Judah Friedlander, who scarcely had three lines between them as a pair of cameramen following Philip Seymour-Hoffman's character around for a documentary.
Will I ever watch "Along Came Polly" again? Honestly...probably not. As an adult, I find this film kind of fluffy and extremely implausible, not to mention a little gross when trying to be funny. If you haven't seen this one, you're probably better off.
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5
8 down. 290 to go.
