A lack of acuity dulls Smart People. A shame: With a gifted cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and especially Thomas Haden Church, this comedy/drama should have been more than it settles for. Alas, writer Mark Poirier skimps on character development, particularly in the relationship between gruff professor Lawrence (Quaid) and his doctor/former student, Janet (Parker). Director Noam Murro also struggles, overreaching with Sideways and Wonder Boys similarities. The banter between strikingly similar adopted brothers Lawrence and Chuck (Church) suggests the wry wit Smart People could reach, yet the film climbs to those summits all too infrequently.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Great Actors Don't Equal Great Product
I actually saw Smart People in April, but I was buried in those many, many Tribeca reviews. I so wanted to like this movie. I adore SJP and have for more than 20 years, and I really like Dennis Quaid. Yet the flick fell short for me; it was in love with its perceived braininess.
A lack of acuity dulls Smart People. A shame: With a gifted cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and especially Thomas Haden Church, this comedy/drama should have been more than it settles for. Alas, writer Mark Poirier skimps on character development, particularly in the relationship between gruff professor Lawrence (Quaid) and his doctor/former student, Janet (Parker). Director Noam Murro also struggles, overreaching with Sideways and Wonder Boys similarities. The banter between strikingly similar adopted brothers Lawrence and Chuck (Church) suggests the wry wit Smart People could reach, yet the film climbs to those summits all too infrequently.
A lack of acuity dulls Smart People. A shame: With a gifted cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and especially Thomas Haden Church, this comedy/drama should have been more than it settles for. Alas, writer Mark Poirier skimps on character development, particularly in the relationship between gruff professor Lawrence (Quaid) and his doctor/former student, Janet (Parker). Director Noam Murro also struggles, overreaching with Sideways and Wonder Boys similarities. The banter between strikingly similar adopted brothers Lawrence and Chuck (Church) suggests the wry wit Smart People could reach, yet the film climbs to those summits all too infrequently.
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1 comment:
Sorry you were disappointed, but I'm glad to read your review. You know how much I love Dennis Quaid, so I was seriously tempted. Something kept holding me back, though. Your comments tell me that I was right to have doubts. Glad I didn't spend my money or my time.
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