James L. Brooks, writer for The Simpsons, wrote and directed this one. Was it not logical to think it will be funny? Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson....should be funny, right? How unfunny can it be? Surely, it has to be funny. Afterall, it's a comedy-romance-drama, in the manner of As Good As It Gets (which I didn't find especially amusing but still). So, once again: funny? (jumping in expectation here, wait for it....).
No.
And to be honest, I don't see what the message of this movie is, its point for existing, its budget of 120 million dollars. You don't laugh, you are not drawn into the story - since there is barely any story, you don't get involved with the characters, you don't see the romance, but you sure feel one thing, a pretty obvious one: boredom.
This movie is slow, uneventful, purposeless and it slowly suffocates you.
Jack Nicholson is cute and although I like him in almost everything he does, I can never shake off his The Shining character. Even if he's working towards comedy, there is always that 10% of the spookiness involved.
5 out of 10. Stick to The Simpsons.
