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| Along
Came Polly
Directed By: John
Hamburg Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
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| A man who's afraid of risk (Stiller), but makes a living analyzing risk ends up getting involved in a risky romance (Aniston), cheating on his new wife (Messing), which turns his stable life upside-down. Sense a theme? (Hoffman plays Stiller's best friend; Baldwin plays his boss; Brown plays a sky-diving, bungee-jumping "adrenaline junkie" seeking a life insurance policy; Silpa plays the director of a play who comes into conflict with Hoffman's character; Azaria plays a French scuba instructor who flirts with Messing's character while she and Stiller's character are on their honeymoon; Michele Lee plays Stiller's mother and Dishy plays her husband.) [TRAILER] The bar for romantic comedies has been lowered over the years, and one must be quick to admit that in rating “Along Came Polly,” I am comparing it to the likes of the abysmal “Bounce (2000)”, and not to “Casablanca.” But within its sphere of shallow peers, “Polly” is a surprisingly funny addition, creating a few memorable moments and characters and wisely avoiding any focus on its romance, which is in short supply. Its story features an introverted, worried Ben Stiller, again playing the same part he always seems to play, attempting to break out of his shell to impress the laid back, carefree Jennifer Aniston. The best moments arise from the humor that is overflowing in the picture, sometimes from predictable gross-out vignettes seemingly required in every modern comedy, but more often stemming from the genuinely solid comedic chemistry of Stiller, Aniston and the hilariously crass, boorish performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman as Stiller’s best friend. I have to admit that I laughed hard and often at “Polly,” and that I was also impressed by its willingness to deal with a serious issue in Stiller’s interactions with his philandering ex-wife. I think that while Stiller surely should be striving for more in his career, he has a sweetness and a sincerity that helps him play the straight man. We care for him, see him develop through his dealings with his ex-wife and then want things to end happy for him because, in some sense, it means things will work out for all of us nice guys too. This empathy also helps when it comes to his humor. Watching him get indigestion after eating spicy food, attempt to salsa dance to no avail or strive to act tough when attempting to bully another man, we laugh because he is just a normal guy in an absurd situation. And director John Hamburg (“Zoolander”) is wise enough to space these moments out. Unlike “Meet The Parents,” “Along Came Polly” stops short of Stiller overload. The film’s great void is its lack of romantic bonding between its leads. This film is first and foremost a comedy and then a romance only after the fact. But Hamburg, Stiller and Aniston do the best they can with what they have to work with and, in all fairness, deliver a fluffy little treat that’s better than what we’ve come to expect.   Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
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