Liebe zu Besuch

I've skimmed some of the reviews here, many of them so negative. What were those reviewers expecting? Shakespeare this is not. But it is a light, cute romantic comedy, and I enjoyed watching it. Sitting home alone on Christmas Eve, I spent a nice hour and a half watching these pleasant looking characters in a pleasant looking environment leading their pleasant, contrived and comical lives. That, and a bowl of popcorn - hey, it could have been a lot worse.

Looks like the perfect feel-good movie for mommy. There is everything mommy can possibly want. In the end, almost everybody is happy! Good enough for me too.

This flimsy female fantasy only got made because the "writer/director" has Hollywood connections.

This fluff wouldn't past muster on a TV sitcom, yet here's a 97-minute yawner of a feature film that wastes time and talent and money that could have gone to something worthy.

Reese Witherspoon stars as a 40-year-old rich woman struggling to raise two daughters all on her own in her swanky LA house that used to belong to her daddy who was a famous filmmaker. She's separated from her record-producer husband, but her movie-star mother lives nearby.

Out on a bender with friends she gets drunk with three young would-be filmmakers who end up living in her guest house. How cute! The three guys of course bond with the kids and help Reese with her difficult life. She's a designer trying to get a start in LA but can't even get her web site up and running.

One of the guys gets "serious about her but then the soon-to-be ex-husband shows up. What to do! Since this was written by a woman, we already know the fairy tale ending.

In this supposedly "empowering" story, we're supposed to root for the poor 40-year-old as she makes some "tough" decisions about her privileged life while sitting in her outdoor kitchen by the pool.

Hardly a minute goes by (it seems) when Witherspoon or the two daughters are not being encouraged and bolstered by someone on their looks. All the women do is seek the approval of men. Even the "strssed out" pre-teen can't put on her school play without one of the guys standing in the wings to encourage her.

Witherspoon finally makes a big decision about her marriage, but it's totally meaningless even within the context of this pile of goo.

Vanity production for Witherspoon and little else. The film is not funny or insightful. Candice Bergen is totally wasted as the movie-star mom who pops in a few times to offer advice. Michael Sheen plays the dopey husband. The "guys" are all unknowns.

This should have been titled THREE MEN AND A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN ACTING LIKE A FOOLISH KID.

$12M was wasted on this trash.

I'm hit and miss with Witherspoon movies. I like her in a fun, need a vapid relaxation movie kinda way, but this surprised me a little. It's a cute rom com etc as expected but what was a bit different in this is that the boy toy characters actually had depth and were interesting people, which made it much more enjoyable to watch. Not going on a favorite movies list but definitely worth a fun watch on movie night.

I like a movie with heart. It's nice not to see a movie without adults in costumes, violence and all the other negative aspects of life. It's a feel good movie with likeable characters. It is what it is. It was better than some Oscar nominated farces I've seen in the past. By the end of the movie it evoked a sense of what life among family and friends should be.