Post Grad

Many of us can relate to the Ryden character in 'Post Grad'. Having been in a similar situation and knowing that Alexis Bledel would lead the movie, I decided to watch it. The film starts off well with an overenthusiastic, overconfident and naive Ryden going to her interview and then being 'bumped off' by an arch rival. The comedy works very well (except for the Michael Keaton belt lock sequence which appears like forced humour) but otherwise 'Post Grad' moves at a very slow pace. I think Vicky could have added more comedy and gone more in depth with Ryden's struggle. Alexis Bledel is very good as Ryden Malby and I hope she gets more fine roles in great movies in the future. Michael Keaton is a little over the top but it was good to see him after a long time. Jane Lynch is poorly underused. Carol Burnett is hilarious. It was only much later that I found out that Adam wasn't played by Gabriel Mann but by an actor named Zach Gilford (who is a splitting image). Overall, it's not too bad for a one time watch but it could have been way more fun.

In a word: awkward.

Why on earth did I watch this film? I like Zach Gilford, and his performance was pretty good for the most part. But the movie itself? I can't really say anything good about it. Chunks of action/dialogue seemed to be missing, and some of the performances felt a little off.

The only thing I commend is, bizarrely, the DVD extras. They have some awesome career advice from experts like Marcus Buckingham, and other fun bits that felt like a breath of fresh air (especially to those who recently graduated) So, skip the film, but watch for the special features. It'll save you time, and you might learn a thing or two.

6/10

This was a very bland teen type of film. It's about a girl, Ryden, whom graduates near the top of her college class. She thinks she has everything planned out with a job and an apartment. But finding a job is much harder than she imagined. So, she moves back in with her parents, whom really aren't interesting characters. Here the movie could have been done better, if the parents were funny, but they weren't. So she goes to a lot of job interviews, once again, not really that interesting. Then there is the love interest, Adam, a guy she has known for years whom has always liked her but she considered him a friend till now. When he leaves, she realizes she liked him too so sets out on a new path in life at the end.

FINAL VERDICT: This was like a dull teen movie and it wasn't even supposed to be a comedy. Not worth seeing.

So does Alexis Bledel plan to build a movie career out of tracing the hypothetical life trajectory of the character she created on "Gilmore Girls?"

This is the second movie I've seen this year in which Bledel basically plays Rory Gilmore at the stage of her life she would generally be in if "Gilmore Girls" was still on the air. In this movie, she's a perky go-getter who's aghast when she finds out that the world will not necessarily adapt itself to her designs and whims, until...guess what....it does and she gets everything she wanted anyway.

This movie is harmless enough, but the only thing that makes it more worth your time than something from the straight-to-DVD bargain bin in the supermarket (or maybe this WAS one of those films) is a crazy and admittedly pretty funny performance from Michael Keaton as Bledel's doofus father.

Grade: B-

Post Grad is obviously not the greatest movie out there. It's not going to win any awards, or be loved by the critics. However, it is still a cute movie that allows you to escape for an hour and forty minutes. It has some really funny scenes, and has moral lessons to teach. It's not being received very well and I understand why. It's just a light, fluffy, little movie more suitable for the younger ages. I admit, it could have been better but I wasn't expecting much from the beginning. It was simply a fun little comedy, and one that I'm sure many people can relate to. I didn't find Alexis Bledel annoying. She gave the role all it needed. Her love interest Zach Gilford, was cute and did a decent job. Michael Keaton was the funniest character hands down, and the rest of Bledel's family offered much of the comedy in the film. In all, it's an enjoyable film. I would recommend renting it though, it's not really a theatre-worthy film.