Certainly the terminal disease angle in films has been done and then done again. If a really talented writer does the script justice then you can move people to really great heights of emotion. The film 50/50 buried that emotion under disgusting crude humour and this film buries that huge emotion under a very slapped together script, rushed performances, and honestly the cast just looks sort of bored, or forced into this. The film advertises itself heavily using performances by "Academy Award Winners" Kathy Bates and Whoopi Goldbergh, both of whom have just cameos in the film basically. The film tries to be a romance but also a drama, comedy and it never really finds its foothold in any one genre and that is a problem for it. The film is watchable and has some fun scenes but it misses the mark in so many ways. I knew right away that it wasn't going to live up to a mainstream theatre release because when a film like this comes out on DVD that you've never heard of but has a big Hollywood cast...there is a reason it didn't find a distributor/producer or an audience. You will like this...its cute but then that's all there is.
Kate Hudson has made her mark by playing the cute, fun, romantic lead type of girl. This film tries to give her some edge as promiscuous, career driven woman with an attitude who finds herself thrown off by a terminal diagnoses and then by falling in love. She's good but she doesn't even try to take it to another level. As I mentioned, I think it felt like she was obligated to do this film and didn't really give it her all. Gael García Bernal was almost downright boring in his role. The character was completely under developed, the chemistry between them was a joke and yet the driving force in this film is this magic, once in a lifetime romance that blossoms over two or three scenes. Very poor scripting on the part of the writer and sub par performances on both Bernal and Hudson. The highlight of this film is really the supporting characters. Kathy Bates is fun as Hudson's Mom, Treat Williams as her Dad in one or two scenes. Her best friends played by Lucy Punch and Romany Malco do a solid job but they are underused. A really fun cameo by Peter Dinklage ends up being the best scene in the whole film.
I might sound particularly bitter towards this film, especially since I am giving it a decent 6 but the film has such potential and its wasted and I feel like its just because no one gives any effort at all. TV director Nicole Kassell tries her best but the script is very weak and she does put together some decent scenes but it will leave you feeling empty. My guess would be that some studio had days or weeks left on contracts with the stars and/or the script so they churned it out. Its average in every way and while its not a waste of time you will feel as cheated as I did out of a great movie. 6/10
Kate Hudson has made her mark by playing the cute, fun, romantic lead type of girl. This film tries to give her some edge as promiscuous, career driven woman with an attitude who finds herself thrown off by a terminal diagnoses and then by falling in love. She's good but she doesn't even try to take it to another level. As I mentioned, I think it felt like she was obligated to do this film and didn't really give it her all. Gael García Bernal was almost downright boring in his role. The character was completely under developed, the chemistry between them was a joke and yet the driving force in this film is this magic, once in a lifetime romance that blossoms over two or three scenes. Very poor scripting on the part of the writer and sub par performances on both Bernal and Hudson. The highlight of this film is really the supporting characters. Kathy Bates is fun as Hudson's Mom, Treat Williams as her Dad in one or two scenes. Her best friends played by Lucy Punch and Romany Malco do a solid job but they are underused. A really fun cameo by Peter Dinklage ends up being the best scene in the whole film.
I might sound particularly bitter towards this film, especially since I am giving it a decent 6 but the film has such potential and its wasted and I feel like its just because no one gives any effort at all. TV director Nicole Kassell tries her best but the script is very weak and she does put together some decent scenes but it will leave you feeling empty. My guess would be that some studio had days or weeks left on contracts with the stars and/or the script so they churned it out. Its average in every way and while its not a waste of time you will feel as cheated as I did out of a great movie. 6/10