Catch and Release is one of those films that defies a neat category. While at times it resembles a romantic comedy, there are plenty of moments that are too dramatic for the typical romantic comedy. No, this film straddles the categories, and maybe this is why it had only a lukewarm reception at the box office.
I read the back of the DVD box, and I wondered how much of a downer Catch and Release was going to be. The plot is based around Gray, ably played by Jennifer Garner showing us that she can do a more serious role than 13 Going On 30 that doesn't involve kicking bad guys like in her show "Alias." Anyway, we open the film with Gray attending a funeral. You see, her fiancé ends up dying while going away for his bachelor weekend right before the wedding. However, this film doesn't focus on the death; this is really a film about picking up the pieces of life, and moving on from tragedy.As Catch and Release proceeds, we start to wonder how much she really knew about her fiancé. As Gray cleans up her fiancé's things to prepare to move on, she starts to discover things she never knew about him. You know, little details like he was a millionaire, and that he had another woman and a child on the West coast. You know, just a few things he didn't get around to telling her.
Thankfully, Gray is not alone in her quest. Her fiance's friends come to her aid including Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), Dennis (Sam Jaeger), and Sam (Kevin Smith). Sam is an interesting character as he is especially hard hit by the loss, and he continually spouts for the wisdom from the back of Celestial Seasonings tea boxes that he is employed doing (although he misses so much work you start to wonder how he could still have a job). Together, they comfort each other in the tragedy, and keep each other out of trouble as they move on.I must say that the fiancé's mother, Mrs. Douglas played by Fiona Shaw seems rather unbelievable. I think she would have had much more anger towards Gray, and would never really accept the illegitimate child in light of what she finds out. Also, I doubt that she would have let Gray keep the engagement ring and acted so civilly when she asked for it to be returned.
Overall, I did enjoy this film. Catch and Release was not what I expected, and that is a good thing. It doesn't fit into a neat genre, but it tells a real story. After all, life is a combination of comedy and drama, and this is a film that successfully mirrors it. I also enjoyed the scenery in the film from its setting in Boulder, Colorado.
Overall Grade: B+
Reviewed by Jonas
2 comments:
You mean like "fiancé"? On my computer I just hold down the option key and e to get the accent mark, followed by the letter. I'm guessing that whatever works on Microsoft Word should work on Blogger.
Windows PC's don't have an option key, that's an Apple thing. I'm thinking that I could put it in through a word processor, and then just cut and paste it. Good tip!
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