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Recent releases:
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Just Go With It
Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker, Dave Matthews , Bailee Madison, Kevin Nealon , Griffin Gluck and (Devlin Adams).
Director: Dennis Dugan
Just Go With It doesnt pretend to be anything other than an enjoyably cynical romcom smartly tailored to Sandlers comic persona. Like the Carry On comedies before it, it makes no claim to art. Here Sandler is in fine form as a bachelor plastic surgeon who wears a wedding ring to help him pick up women without commitment. But when he falls for young and beautiful Decker he needs a wife to clinch the deal and persuades his assistant Aniston (surprisingly bearable, for a change) to pose as his soon-to-be-ex-wife. And Sandler, Aniston and her two kids and Decker end up in Hawaii where, naturally, Sandler finds out who he really loves
The ending is predictable, but thats the genre, and its good if frequently crude and crass fun getting there. Sandler has his laid-back lothario act down pat, Aniston is better than usual and makes an excellent foil for the star. Decker looks lovely, which is all thats required of her and Kidman, entertainingly letting her hair down and going for it, unexpectedly turns up to play Anistons long-time rival and challenge her at a hula dance competition.
And, for those of us who enjoy lurid mindless farce, watching a man trying to revive a sick sheep which is patently a fake, is great silly value.
(One of the more surprising aspects of the films is that it's a reworking of the 1969 Walter Matthau-Ingrid Bergman-Goldie Hawn film Cactus Flower which in turn was based on a French stage play).
Hawaii looks terrific and Sandlers frequent (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, You Dont Mess With the Zohan) director Dennis Dugan does exactly whats required of him. If youre looking for intellectual stimulation and/or subtitles, forget it. But if you want an easy-going laugh-inducing evening out, just go with it. You wont earn any Brownie points with cineastes, but you should get your moneys worth.
Alan Frank
USA 2011. UK Distributor: Sony. Colour.
116 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.
Review date: 12 Feb 2011