Larry Crowne (C or 2/4 stars)
'Larry Crowne' (directed & produced by Tom Hanks, & co-written by him & Nia Vardolos, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame) opens with a layoff. U-Mart's friendly 9-time Employee of the Month, Larry Crowne (Hanks) has been let go - despite his impressive history in the Navy - because he has no college education. His house is worth less than his mortgage. And so, wallowing in debt, unclear what to do with his time, & with no family to help him ... this middle-aged man summons his dignity & enrolls in 3 courses at a local college. One of them - a public speaking course - is run by Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who is not only disillusioned by her profession, but is something of an alcoholic, & loathes her deadbeat husband (Bryan Cranston).
Larry, on the other hand, is getting some help & inspiration from a fellow student in his Economics class (led by George Takei - very funny), named Talia (a pretty Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who urges him to suddenly join her 'scooter posse' (a gang of students who commute to college on their mopeds & scooters). He learns some things from Talia {ugh}, & their friendship frees him up so that he can get over his fears in Mrs. Tanoit's speaking class. Initially, overeager student, Larry, & contentious teacher, Mercedes, don't see eye to eye. BUT, this is a romantic comedy, isn't it? With time, Larry develops a crush on Mercedes, & vice-versa. And both are able to help improve each other's dire situations.
'Larry Crowne' has its heart in the right place. It aspires to be nothing more than a light romp with the affable Hanks/Roberts, with a side order of 'how the economy is shaping the mood & job status in a downward direction'. Hanks hasn't looked this good in years. His charm is irresistible. And it turns out: he isn't the worst director {haha}. Julia Roberts looks great. She's quite funny as Mercedes. And you can't deny her beaming smile. The more the film went along, the more I liked it. The ending is SO sweet that you may have to bolt from your theater seat for a dentist's seat. But that is what this film is ... sweet.
There are problems that come with this, however. No one has a huge dramatic issue that they have to deal with. And if they do, it's glossed over. Mercedes drinks. So how does the script cure her alcoholism? She smiles into her drink, realizes that she loves Larry, & puts the drink down. How does she get rid of her miserable husband? Throws his stuff out on the lawn. How does the film approach the heartbreak of job loss? Take a class in public speaking & nab a girlfriend. See what I mean? Eassssssssy solutions to any potential conflict. Another issue with the film, some of the 'comedy' is awkward. I chuckled at George Takei's authoritative Economics teacher (because Takei is naturally funny). But no one laughed in the theater. And that's because the humor missed the mark.
I can see why 'Larry Crowne' opened opposite of Transformers 3. It's aiming to do what happened in July of 2008 when Mamma Mia! opened opposite of The Dark Knight as counterprogramming. Unfortunately, I don't see success ($$) this time. Audiences today like the star quality & appeal of Hanks & Roberts. But their light has dimmed (since the days of Sleepless in Seattle or My Best Friend's Wedding). And this film doesn't have the hook that a Mamma Mia! had to reel in the folks who have no desire for Transformers. But back to the quality of the film, itself ...
'Larry Crowne' is, at the core, about 2 struggling people who better their lives because each other is in them. They regain control together; giving each other reasons to persevere. And I enjoy spending time with Hanks/Roberts. But to be honest, had any other couple been in this film, I'd probably be giving it a D or D+ rating rather than the C I'm giving it (that's due to their intangible appeal - however lessened over time). I just wish I laughed a bit more. I wish the plot wasn't such a "movie" plot. And I wish that entire scenes weren't flat as a pancake. There needed to be more of an 'edge'. And if seeing Hanks bend over in his tighty whities counts as 'edge' - then he & Nia Vardolos are sadly mistaken {haha}. 'Larry Crowne' is hard to dislike, but harder to respect.
Larry, on the other hand, is getting some help & inspiration from a fellow student in his Economics class (led by George Takei - very funny), named Talia (a pretty Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who urges him to suddenly join her 'scooter posse' (a gang of students who commute to college on their mopeds & scooters). He learns some things from Talia {ugh}, & their friendship frees him up so that he can get over his fears in Mrs. Tanoit's speaking class. Initially, overeager student, Larry, & contentious teacher, Mercedes, don't see eye to eye. BUT, this is a romantic comedy, isn't it? With time, Larry develops a crush on Mercedes, & vice-versa. And both are able to help improve each other's dire situations.
'Larry Crowne' has its heart in the right place. It aspires to be nothing more than a light romp with the affable Hanks/Roberts, with a side order of 'how the economy is shaping the mood & job status in a downward direction'. Hanks hasn't looked this good in years. His charm is irresistible. And it turns out: he isn't the worst director {haha}. Julia Roberts looks great. She's quite funny as Mercedes. And you can't deny her beaming smile. The more the film went along, the more I liked it. The ending is SO sweet that you may have to bolt from your theater seat for a dentist's seat. But that is what this film is ... sweet.
There are problems that come with this, however. No one has a huge dramatic issue that they have to deal with. And if they do, it's glossed over. Mercedes drinks. So how does the script cure her alcoholism? She smiles into her drink, realizes that she loves Larry, & puts the drink down. How does she get rid of her miserable husband? Throws his stuff out on the lawn. How does the film approach the heartbreak of job loss? Take a class in public speaking & nab a girlfriend. See what I mean? Eassssssssy solutions to any potential conflict. Another issue with the film, some of the 'comedy' is awkward. I chuckled at George Takei's authoritative Economics teacher (because Takei is naturally funny). But no one laughed in the theater. And that's because the humor missed the mark.
I can see why 'Larry Crowne' opened opposite of Transformers 3. It's aiming to do what happened in July of 2008 when Mamma Mia! opened opposite of The Dark Knight as counterprogramming. Unfortunately, I don't see success ($$) this time. Audiences today like the star quality & appeal of Hanks & Roberts. But their light has dimmed (since the days of Sleepless in Seattle or My Best Friend's Wedding). And this film doesn't have the hook that a Mamma Mia! had to reel in the folks who have no desire for Transformers. But back to the quality of the film, itself ...
'Larry Crowne' is, at the core, about 2 struggling people who better their lives because each other is in them. They regain control together; giving each other reasons to persevere. And I enjoy spending time with Hanks/Roberts. But to be honest, had any other couple been in this film, I'd probably be giving it a D or D+ rating rather than the C I'm giving it (that's due to their intangible appeal - however lessened over time). I just wish I laughed a bit more. I wish the plot wasn't such a "movie" plot. And I wish that entire scenes weren't flat as a pancake. There needed to be more of an 'edge'. And if seeing Hanks bend over in his tighty whities counts as 'edge' - then he & Nia Vardolos are sadly mistaken {haha}. 'Larry Crowne' is hard to dislike, but harder to respect.