cult film freak: LARRY CROWNE

Written by James M. Tate / 7/02/2011 / No comments / comedy , julia roberts , pam grier , romantic comedy , tens , tom hanks

LARRY CROWNE

7/02/2011 | No comment

title: LARRY CROWNE
year: 2011
cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
rating: **1/2

Tom Hanks, who's been a serious actor for over twenty years, returns to his romantic comedy roots, kind of. There's some comedy here, not all of it funny, but hardly any romance. This quirky little film, directed by Hanks and penned by Hanks and Nina Vardalos, centers on a slightly past middle-aged guy named Larry Crowne who, after being fired from his managerial job at "U-MART" because of a lack of education, ventures to community college where he takes a course you probably won't find anywhere else but fictionland. Julia Roberts is the surly instructor of a speech class helping students... learn confidence, or something. The inevitable bonding between pretty teacher and sweet-natured student is not only sidetracked by goofy subplots... Larry joining a moped-riding "gang" and various conversations with his neighbor, who runs a daily garage sale... but is where most of our time's spent. So when that Hanks/Roberts click does occur, it's forced and without much chemistry. So anyone looking for a wind-swept love story or a hilarious comedy, skip this. Yet as feel-good movies go, it passes the time in a breezy, and somewhat unique, manner. But the problem is that Hanks tries giving every character too much endearing dynamic, not only taking away from the story, but giving the impression there isn't one to begin with.

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Tags : comedy , julia roberts , pam grier , romantic comedy , tens , tom hanks

James M. Tate

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