Waste of talent

Rating: 5/10 (9 January 2015)

This movie is entertaining primarily because of the support cast. The standout is Richard Jenkins (who was nominated for an Academy award for The Visitor). He is in a class by himself here. Bobby Cannavale and Stanley Tucci were also very good but hardly on Jenkins' level.
Jennifer Lopez is her usual one dimensional actress self in pale pink everything as an emotionally-injured-princess-in-pain only this time as a dance instructor in, surprise! - ridiculously tight clothes. This movie would have worked with the right excellent support cast (for a very limited actress - Jennifer - in case we need to clarify that).
Why the movie does not work at all? Look no further than Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. Richard is totally miscast in a role which required actual depth as an actor and Susan is just boring and seems to be yawning her way through it. It's like watching Thelma become a the dreaded housewife in Chicago.
Richard Jenkins, who was just outstandingly funny as the private detective here, should have had the lead here. He was just hilarious and would actually have made Susan Sarandon much better. He adds so much texture to any of the scenes he is in. I loved the scene in the bar with him and Susan, did not want it to end. I could have watched much more of them and wished the movie went in another direction with the two of them. I do wish however that Susan Sarandon could do a scene that didn't showcase her boobs. I mean, what woman goes to a bar in Chicago with her boobs hanging out like that?
The movie could have been so much better with better casting. Richard Gere in particular brings the quality of the other actors down. Susan did not belong in this role either and must have needed the money or something.
Without a doubt, the difference between this movie and both The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan (two very enjoyable movies) is the quality of the casting opposite Jennifer Lopez. I mean, let's face the obvious fact that Jennifer Lopez can hardly carry a movie. But with actors of the quality of Matthew McConaughey & Bridgette Wilson-Sampras and Ralph Fiennes & Natasha Richardson, it really worked allowing Jennifer to do her emotionally-injured-princess-in-pain-thing. This movie, however, does not work at all because there are not enough quality actors around Jennifer to make us care about her pain or her pink.