Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Day 4: Larry Crowne

Date: July 4
Film: Larry Crowne [usa, 2011]
Where: Tulsa/theatre
Who with: Lillian
Movie rating: Joshua **1/2; Lillian ****
Julia Roberts annoyance level: ***

A July 4th holiday screening and the first with my mom in 2011. Larry Crowne is Tom Hanks' second directorial effort [That Thing You Do! in 1996 was his first; I really loved that movie about a one-hit wonder band in the 1960s] and co-stars Hanks and Julia Roberts. Larry Crowne is a surprisingly underwhelming film that never quite hits its mark in either the comedy or the romance in the film. It feels forced too much of the time and desperation doesn't translate to laughter when it comes to comedies. Hanks' character, a recently fired man with mounting debt that goes to college and has his life transformed, seems almost like a simpleton too much of the time. He's played too naive I think. Some of the scooter stuff was fun, sure makes me wish I had a scooter to ride around Tulsa on. Bryan Cranston shows up in another supporting role and like The Lincoln Lawyer a few days ago, he was strictly support. Weird to see him with hair and not in Breaking Bad [new season starts in less than two weeks!].  Crowd seemed to like this more than I did and Mom commented that it was awesome to see a film with two people who aren't 15 years old in the lead roles. I happen to agree with her on that point.

4 comments:

hidden staircase said...

drove past the theatre on market street in ballard with mom and pointed out the marquis..."bet you wanna go see that!" mom said "yeah, i do!" i said "i like tom hanks, but i can't stand julia roberts. she annoys me to no end!"

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

I gave her *** out of five on the annoying scale, ha.

Eva said...

See, I wish there was a Tom Hanks annoyance scale. I wish he would take his often sentimentally quivering lips of the screen. Also, since Forrest Gump (sorry, can't stand it, I know that's something like blasphemy to some) I can't see anything but the idiot in him. I always expect him to say "my mama says..." and then I want to stuff a handkerchief in his mouth. Then he can cry after his lost ball Wilson all he wants.

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

Eva--You sure don't like Tom Hanks do you? Ha. You won't like him in this then as he's got a real "simpleton" vibe going on way too much.