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Review by John Delia, Sr.

One of the better art films to come out of Russia and France, Polina shows the determination by a young girl to buck the system and find a different direction in the world of dance. Taught at times, strong willed and conflict-ridden, the film has all the emotions, drama and flare that show an unconditional dedication to the arts. Read more…

Review by John Delia

It’s a teen nightmare about teen angst, the high school comedy The DUFF leaves little options on whether it can be a real thing. The Mean Girls theme goes one step further into the lives of the bullied with this tale of branding by relationship. It opens the door to what could be another way to retaliate or get revenge using the social networks. While the film does show redemption, it’s a farfetched resolution to a new way of labeling someone. Read more…

A GREAT

COMEDY

FOR A

DATE

FRIENDS WITH KIDS

By John Delia

It’s cute, fun loving and complicated, yes Friends With Kids has all the markings of a chick flick. Yet for men the film does play well to couples, so gals grab a fine guy and drag him to see this funny little romantic comedy.

Friends Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) and Jason (Adam Scott), both single adults have known each other for years.  Their circle of friends includes two married couples, Missy (Kristin Wiig) and Ben (John Hamm) and Leslie (Maya Rudolph) and Alex (Chris O’Dowd).  Not having luck in the dating field, Leslie has been setting up Julie with a bunch of her lackluster acquaintances.  On the other hand, Jason has been bedding some top girlfriend prospects and seems to be settled in his life. 

Things start to change when the two married couples start having children as Julie feels her biological clock is running out. On one occasion following a get together with their married friends, Julie offers Jason a proposition of getting her pregnant so she can experience a child with no holds bared including continuing their lives dating other people and having sex.  Jason reluctantly agrees opening the proverbial ‘can of worms’.

Chris O'Dowd, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Maya Rudolph and Jon Hamm

The film really gets very comical with the married couples interjecting their views about the proposition and butting into Julie and Jason’s private lives during the pregnancy.  The cast puts on a good show, especially the instigator Leslie aptly played by Rudolph who doesn’t seem to have abandoned her demeanor from the recent film Bridesmaids. 

Each of the couples has a good chemistry and paired well. Wiig keeps the comedy lively with Missy’s defensive attitude for which her husband Ben receives the brunt of her sarcastic comments. While Leslie and Alex are more into seeing that Julie and Jason are on track to keep a reasonable relationship with the child on the way.  It gets complicated in a good way however, making the relationships and the outcome reasonably unpredictable.

Writer/Director and actor Jennifer Westfeldt does a pretty good job keeping the story on point and bringing some very good comedy to the screen.  Her story does get a little off center at times, but she quickly brings it back in focus on Julie and Jason where the meat of the script belongs.  As an actress Westfeldt shines especially with Scott, the two showing great chemistry as an odd couple with a small spark of romance that grows as the play spools out.

Friends With Kids  has been rated R by the MPAA for sexual content and language. 

FINAL ANALYSIS: For couples and the hen house gang it shines. (B)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast: Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox, and Edward Burns
• Directed by: Jennifer Westfeldt
• MPAA Rating: R for sexual content and language
• Genre: Comedy, Romance, and Drama
• Running Time: 1 hr 48 min
• Opening Date: March 9, 2012
• Distributed by: Roadside Attractions

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