The Movie Press
  • Movie Reviews
  • Twitter News/Updates
  • News & Notes
  • DVD
  • Box Office Results
  • Contact
  • About Us

“Life As We Know It” is a lifeless by-the-numbers romcom

10/8/2010

1 Comment

 
Life as We Know It
Like most moviegoers, I enjoy the trailers before a film, but there’s one thing during those pre-feature moments that makes my heart sink in my chest: when I turn to my date and see her smiling head nod in approval after a preview for an upcoming romantic comedy. Because of her, I see my fair share of romcoms. That’s how I found myself watching Life As We Know It. Lucky me.

The title implies that Life As We Know It has something to say about life, and maybe it does. Maybe the artistic statement Life is trying to make is that life isn’t funny—in fact, it’s often painful—and though you know how it’s going to end and you know you won’t like it, by the time you get to those final minutes, you’re just glad it’s over.

Or, some writer thought to himself, “Baby vomit? LOLZ.”

Self-gratification, Joan from Mad Men, and an unlikeable odd couple after the jump!

Life, as you know it, is driven by the heart—specifically heartbeats, of which you can expect around 3 billion or so in your days on Earth. Two hours spent watching Life As We Know It will account for 8,500 of those heartbeats, heartbeats that could have served you better hiking through the mountains, reading poetry under the shade of a tree or vigorously masturbating in a public bathroom—all choices far more fulfilling than sitting through Life As We Know It.

The especially ridiculous premise of Life As We Know It is this: Messer (played by poor man’s Hugh Jackman, Josh Duhamel) is best buds with Peter; and Holly (Katherine Heigl, who has obviously never said no to a script in her entire life) is friends with Alison (Christina Hendricks, Joan from Mad Men). As some sort of audacious attempt at matchmaking or a particularly cruel practical joke, Peter and Alison decide that in the event of their simultaneous deaths, Messer and Holly—who can’t stand the sight of each other—should be legally tasked with caring for their one-year-old kiddo.

Messer, as his subtle nickname implies, is a messy, motorcycle-riding free spirit and a bit of a womanizer, leaving in his spray-on-tanned wake a trail of one-night stands and broken hearts. Holly is (big surprise) uptight and straight-laced, with her life entirely mapped out before her. She’s punctual, professional and disgusted by fun-loving Messer’s carefree attitude and sloppy lifestyle.

You can guess where it goes from there, and you’d be absolutely right.

Life shares with us the romcom gospel we’ve been brought up with since our childhood—feminism has left women emotional wrecks, capable of only selfishly focusing on their careers and personal betterment, when what they really need is a man. On their journey to love, a man will discover it takes more than promiscuous encounters with strangers to make him feel whole, and a woman will come to the understand that her quaint dreams of success should be canned in favor of fulfilling her destiny, i.e., baby-rearing.

Life As We Know It is an inanimate and uninspired exercise in by-the-numbers romcom dreck with weak chemistry (the largely female crowd at our screening actually snickered and scoffed at the film’s big “I love you” revelation), a largely unlikeable cast (the supporting actors showed signs of potential, but they’re rarely put to good use) and nothing to offer anyone but the most hardcore of romcom junkies—though, even my romantic comedy-obsessed girlfriend left disappointed and spent the majority of our walk to the car offering sincere apologies for suggesting we watch Life.

—Eric Pulsifer

1 Comment
Mark
10/8/2010 02:19:30 am

I don't get any credit for forwarding the invite email to your "girlfriend"? I feel like I should at least get an assist on that one.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    October 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008

    Categories

    All
    Austin Film Festival
    Darcie Duttweiler Reviews
    Derrick Mitcham Reviews
    Eric Harrelson Reviews
    Eric Pulsifer Reviews
    Eric Pulsifer Reviews
    Fantastic Fest
    Greg Maclennan Reviews
    Greg Wilson Reviews
    Jessica Hixson Reviews
    Mark Collins Reviews
    Monte Monreal Reviews
    Reviews
    Rob Heidrick Reviews
    Rob Heidrick Reviews
    Sxsw

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.