terrible movie

Rating: 1/10 (8 June 2005)

This is a terrible movie that glorifies domestic violence in the guise of a comedy which makes it even worse. Both actors, who showed such great promise early in their career, seem to be reduced to making One-dimensional comic book movies that have no substance but a big paycheck.
The movie self-destructs because of it going from being a look at a marriage that has lost that spark and both people are bored (sounds a lot like True Lies) to an action, shoot-em-up, guns that don't need re-loading and two stars that engage in all this and yet don't seem to even mess up their hair. At least True Lies had the stars looking dirty when it was called for and a good supporting cast. Neither Ms. Jolie or Brad Pitt seems able to carry the movie by themselves. Also, True Lies had comedy that wasn't built around domestic violence and was a movie that work not because of the sexual excitement people feel (which is a poor excuse for a movie) but because of the chemistry and good natured aspects. In True Lies (I'm not saying this was a great movie but a lot better than this one), when the terrorist slaps one of the female actors, the audience responds to this. In this movie, The violence is within the marriage and setting aside the comedy should make people feel uncomfortable.
A film needs more than sexual chemistry between the leading actors. It needs a good script, a good director that knows where to draw the lines and a good supporting crew. This movie has none of this. I'm not against sexual chemistry but if that's all the movie offers then just rent some porn and given some of the comments made by posts here that's what I would recommend. At least it would be cheaper for you. A good movie also needs more than things being blown up and people shooting one another. If you compare it to Prizzi's Honor, Prizzi's Honor had a great cast, good script, great supporting cast and an ending that makes you feel a sense of sadness in the main character. Nicholson conveyed a sense, at the end, that he may not have taken the action he did and you come away with a sense of sadness from him that he got sucked into an action and the aftermath that he didn't really want.
If you compare it to War of the Roses, War had a great cast, good script, strong supporting cast and was filmed as a dark comedy that really, in the end, didn't make light of domestic violence, whether it's from the husband, wife or both. The movie ends with DeVito telling the couple to go home and stay together. Also, the movie ends with the knowledge that DeVito is married and happy.
Of course it would be nice, given what both have said, if they would take those big paychecks and, instead of spending them on 5-7 million dollar houses, private jets, and 3 million for diamond earrings...etc... and donate some it to the causes they supposedly support. Hypocrisy (in their personal life) and terrible movie choices (in their professional life) will lead these stars down the has-been track. After all, age takes it toll and their good looks without any show of acting ability will cause them to end up in the same dustbin as Sharon Stone and others.
One finally note on the movie: don't get caught up in the glamor of the stars (whether this movie or others), boycott the movie and send a message to Hollywood stars that we demand more of them the drivel they produce.
Asidenote on June12- box office receipts were very good for this movie but with the other one dimensional comic book movies coming in the next 2 weeks, it probably won't last. It's to bad that all this money is spent on this film when there are many more great films out there. Hollywood knows that the summer for these types of movies and waits until the fall to put out the better ones. I just hate to see so much talent being wasted on a throw-away movie like this one.