Catch and Release (2007)

 All the right pieces - Horribly put Together!!
I pride myself on being able to watch a movie all the way through - giving it a chance until the very end, no matter how bad I think it is. This movie is now one of the only 2 or 3 movies I have stopped watching!
The actors were good, no complaints. They are what they were supposed to be, none of them great - but good for this kind of movie.
There were elements of a good movie, some good pieces, nothing original or new, but once again - good for what it was supposed to be...
And then the movie starts and from the opening few scenes you are able to figure out where the movie is heading, hoping it wont, but it does.
There is simply nothing redeeming about this movie! You know it could be funny, you know it could better - but it wasnt. Badly written script - with an even worse plot. So very disappointing - a waste of film, acting, and my time! Then again, if you enjoy the type of movie where: a woman catching her fiance's best friend having sex in the bathroom with a random caterer at her fiance's funeral - and then commence to fall in love with him over he next week - despite no redeeming qualities... Enjoy! Otherwise, due to the lack of substance, inadequate character development, poorly written script, and an overall underachieving and disappointing movie - I wouldnt recommend watching this to anyone! Even if it were free! May 8, 2008

 Good catch!
Let me preface this review by saying I watch a lot of romantic comedies (chick flicks, if you will), so I'd like to think I know the difference between a good one and bad one. I really liked this movie! The story line was original, funny, and downright charming! This movie made me an even bigger fan of Jennifer Garner. April 29, 2008

 A Nice Catch
I expected this movie to be another light romantic comedy and was quite surprised by it.

The movie is deeper than one expects dealing with loss, grief, love, and finding oneself.

I thought most of the performances were excellent especially those by Kevin Smith as Sam, and Juliette Lewis. I have never seen Kevin Smith in anything else, but he gives a touching, warm performance; possibly the best acting in the film.

The actor who plays Fritz was one of the flaws of the movie, I thought he was lightweight or superficial. Another reviewer mentioned he has a Pepsodent smile, but I would go farther and say his whole performance was like a Pepsodent commercial.

Some reviewers have criticized the speed of the relationship between Gray and Fritz. I was not shocked by it because I think that there was already an underlying problem in Gray and Grady's relationship. The fact that it takes them 6 years to tie the knot in the absence of health or financial problems, indicates there was some kind of commitment issue. This is confirmed by Grady's parallel relationship with Juliette Lewis' character. Gray turns to Fritz out of grief for Grady's loss, and anger over the realization that she really did not know him; she also discovers the force of a new love; discovers feelings that she no longer felt for Grady, possibly passion. Listen well to her monologue to Grady during the garden ceremony. It is very telling.

Other reviewers have criticized the fact the we never see Grady and that this takes away from the story. Perhaps it would have been better to have a more defined image of Grady. I think this was an artistic decision to really focus the story on Gray and Grady's friends. I was not too disturbed by it.

I give this movie 4 stars because I would have wanted to see a better Fritz. It would have given more weight to the movie; and also there are some holes in the movie like Gray's family and friends (totally non-existent).

But all in all it's worth catching.....and keeping. April 16, 2008

 3.5 Stars: Quirky but Murky
Positives:
Jennifer Garner is gorgeous.
Kevin Smith is always a joy.
Julliete Lewis is terrific.
Clever situations.
Good characters (except for Garner's bland persona).
Beautiful scenery.
Entertaining set-pieces

Negatives:
Slow, slow pacing.
Not much humor, not much suspense.
Timothy Oliphant is cloying and smug.

Overall:
Worth watching, but easy to multi-task while doing so. March 31, 2008

 Catch it, then release it; just make sure you catch it first...
Yes, you heard me right; make sure you catch this movie before letting it go altogether. I had absolutely no expectations going into this movie. Wait, I take that back; I expected to abhor this movie. Judging from the previews I just knew that this would be a huge waste of time. I've never been much of a fan of Jennifer Garner in general, but after watching her beautifully restrained performance in `Juno' I decided that just maybe I should give this film a try. I was still very hesitant but within the first few frames I was hooked.

The film opens at the funeral for Grady Douglas. Grady is leaving behind friends, family and Gray, his fiancé. Gray, obviously lost and distraught, moves in with Grady's two friends Dennis and Sam, hoping to instill some stability. That transition is made difficult by the presence of Grady's `other' friend Fritz. Gray has never understood Fritz and makes it very obvious that she dislikes him, but soon she realizes that all she thought Fritz was is not the man he truly is and she begins to understand why Grady felt so highly of Fritz.

The story is a bit uneven and the romance that spawns between Gray and Fritz seems a tad unrealistic, but like I mentioned, this film is still worth `catching'. When a surprise guest arrives in the form of Grady's ex-flame Maureen things get a little sticky but eventually the five (Gray, Fritz, Dennis, Sam and Maureen) find themselves, their real selves, amidst all the turmoil and tragedy.

Performance wise this movie belongs to Kevin Smith. I know what you're thinking but I'm totally serious. As Sam he is both funny and charming and in the end he has some of the most endearing moments in the film. I was impressed with his performance mostly because it's much more mature than anything you'd expect from him. I love Juliette Lewis and her performance here is her zany self, all over the place yet surprising ly emotionally grounded. The film seems bored with Dennis so Sam Jaeger's performance winds up forgettable. I've always felt that Timothy Olyphant is extremely creepy looking and sadly this takes away from his performance. When he stares at Jennifer it just gives me the creeps. Fiona Shaw has a nice turn here as the Grady's mother. She comes across bitter and cold yet in the end shows a nice layer of emotional purity.

Garner also delivers nicely here. The script at times trips her character up by giving her arch's that are unbelievable and even in moments unlikable, but Garner manages to waltz through them well. Her performance in `Juno' is still by far her finest acting moment, but this has it's moments as well. The opening scene at the funeral alone is flawlessly done. There is so much genuine emotion in her reaction, so much sincerity within her performance there that I was sucked into the film immediately.

`Catch and Release' wants us to know that even though we think we know someone we may not really but it's okay. We can survive and, in the end, learning of their mistakes can help us define the person we're meant to become.

This is far from a perfect film but it's sweet and enjoyable and is bound to make you feel warm inside, and that in itself is worth fishing for. February 26, 2008

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