This week the heat team grabbed their popcorn and Minstrels and headed to the pictures to watch the three biggest releases in Moviesville this week - Friends With Kids; starring Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig, Killer Joe; starring Matthew McConaughey and Storage 24; starring Noel Clarke.
Here's what we thought:
Friends With Kids
STARRING: Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig
DIRECTOR: Jennifer Westfeldt (CERT 15, 107 minutes)
The plot: Last year, Friends With Benefits exploited the comedic potential of a sex-buddy pact. This new film, similarly named but from entirely different creators, sees best friends Julie (Westfeldt) and Jason (Scott) strike a bargain of even greater magnitude: having a baby. Alarmed at how their married pals Ben and Missy (Hamm and Wiig) and Alex and Leslie (Chris O’Dowd and Maya Rudolph) have allowed the stresses of married life and parenthood to smother the magic of their relationships, and concerned at Julie’s own ticking clock, they take the plunge. They will continue to date other people, but raise a baby together. We think you can guess where this is heading!
What’s right with it? Credit to writer/director/producer Westfeldt, who also co-wrote and starred in 2001 lesbian-themed indie comedy Kissing Jessica Stein, for a smart, genuinely funny screenplay. In real life, she’s been in a relationship with Jon Hamm (another of the film’s producers) since 1998 and three of his Bridesmaids co-stars appear here, making this one of the most comedically gifted ensembles we’ve seen in a while. Megan Fox is well cast as Jason’s shallow dancer girlfriend.
What’s wrong with it? It’s a romcom, so the ending is wholly predictable. That’s OK, but the amount of time Jason takes to understand the true desires of his heart and groin are more frustrating than satisfying.
Verdict: Not as hilarious or outrageous as Bridesmaids, but every bit as smart, Friends With Kids flies the flag for wordy, witty comedy about the complications of modern life. More, please. 4/5 @charlesgant
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