It asks you to think - then lets you off the hook

Rating: Null/10 (23 November 2007)

Along the ideas found in films like "Sliding Doors", "Waking Life" or other alternate/parallel realities, this one slowly pulls together instead of tearing apart. Unfortunately, as it pulls together, it loses much of its wit and edge. It becomes less interesting, frankly. Will Ferrell does a fine job of being subdued yet comedic, Maggie Gyllenhaal is not tested in her role, Emma Thompson does a wonderful job as a neurotic author with writer's block, Dustin Hoffman straight-faces his way through as though he were a responsive version of "Rain Man", and Tom Hulce and other stars round out the cast. The decors are a little too consistently hip to be seen as individualistic (the set designer paid less attention to the characters than to his/her own interests), and the scoring seems pasted on. Once I caught on to the story's movement, I reasonably guessed the ending, due to the romantic angle. It's an okay film. It's not great, it's not awful. It's entertaining, asks you to think for the first ¾ of the story, and slowly lets you off the hook. I like more challenge than this one presented.