Monday, January 17, 2011

#33: Failure to Launch



Failure to Launch is a story of a middle-aged man, Tripp(Mathew McConaughey) who stays with his parents and thinks it is perfectly normal to do so. His friends also don't mind this aberration and that makes it easier for Tripp to get along with his lifestyle. So he befriends women, falls in love and gets dumped that easily because no girl seems to like the fact that he feeds off his parents.

That until, his parents hire Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), an interventionist who specialises in making men fall for her and then convince these men to move out of their homes. If the phrase 'bizzare script' is coming to your mind, as you're reading this, then well, you have company. The plot is hugely predictable and clumsy. The performances barring Mathew McConaughey's are amateur and the supporting cast of stars such as Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper are wasted in senseless roles.

Director Tom Dey doesn't manage to excite you through any of the silly gags he conjures. There are scenes of a chipmunk, a dolphin and a lizard biting Tripp that are supposed to evoke laughs but these are nothing more than disastrous attempts at comedy. The only thing that works for the movie is McConaughey's portrayal of the lazy and easy going Tripp. He essays it with charm and in a couple of scenes laced with emotion comes out unscathed. There is little to add about any other artist in the movie.

As far as chick flicks go, Failure to Launch is as mediocre as they come. As far as movies go, it is a failure to film sensibly indeed!

Rating: 4.1/10

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