Plan Perfecto

Greetings again from the darkness. Evidently this is a movie for thirty-somethings who need more ammunition to defend their decisions to avoid marriage and parenthood. At least that's the best case I can come up with ... otherwise it's just a bitter, caustic view of those two topics. It's pretty obvious from the opening scene where the relationship story is headed, but it's not an easy road for us viewers.

This movie belongs to Jennifer Westfeldt. She wrote the script, directed the movie and stars as the woman who decides to have a baby with her platonic friend (Adam Scott). These two are part of a group of six close knit friends in Manhattan who start out doing everything together and telling each other everything. One of the couples (Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd) announce "We're pregnant" and promptly move to Brooklyn. The other married couple (Jon Hamm, Krisen Wiig) start out by attempting to break all Guiness records for sex, and end up evolving into something a bit less exciting.

The two platonic friends decide to "beat the system" by sharing parenting responsibilities while pursuing separate dating lives until they find "the right person". Westfeldt has a Lisa Kudrow quality about her that doesn't play well with me. She was the star and writer of Kissing Jessica Stein, and here she comes across as insecure and awkward, and not nearly as smart as she would like to believe. Adam Scott (brilliant on "Parks and Recreation") is quite the ladies man and also views himself as smarter than the masses. Westfeldt finds a "perfect" guy in Edward Burns, and Scott finds happiness with Megan Fox. Of course, you know where this is headed.

What struck me throughout the film was how every scene and every character was just a bit off. Nothing really worked. Jon Hamm has one really nice scene where he is intoxicated and really stirs the pot at a group dinner. Kristen Wiig has very few lines and spends the movie sulking. Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd have a couple of decent scenes, but mostly the film has little insight to offer and no characters with whom you would like to connect.

Friends with Kids is about choosing an alternative lifestyle while conforming with society. It doesn't work. The premise of the movie is a great idea, and the story has a funny drama-like feel to it which is entertaining.

However, the scenario takes a dive after the ski weekend, because we go right back to the pre-chewed romantic drivel that most Hollywood chick flick try to sell us. The very end particularly could have come from any brainwashed hack of a writer. Very disappointing.

If they could have come up with a good third act, it would have been an amazing movie because the cast is outrageous, the dialogs are good, and the film is well put together.

I did NOT dislike Friends With Kids but I did not love it either. It is a finely-made/put-together film but I'll stress that there isn't anything overly special here (other than the cast). The most notable thing about it is that it (almost) features the entire (already-mentioned) cast of Bridesmaids! Equally comedic and dramatic, this is the latest writing effort from Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein, Ira & Abby ... and the longtime girlfriend of John Hamm) who decides to step behind the camera for the first-time with this one. Westfeldt also takes the lead female role and she is "okay" although I think it is fair to say she is a better filmMAKER than actress (I would have preferred seeing Maya Rudolph in the role).

The film brings to the surface the question of what happens to friends when their other long-time friends begin having children -- it is a MOST valid question as any of those friends "left behind" can attest to. People seem to seek-out people of similar tastes and interests. Once a child is born the child -- for good reason -- becomes the primary interest/focus of their lives ... although the childless are most often sacrificed for not having that NEW one common-bond any longer.

This film observes and ponders this "predicament" when two of its central characters decide to have a child together after witnessing what their childless existence has done to their relationship with their best friends. What is different with this scenario is that this pair are best-of-friends and they do not intend on staying together as lovers/parents. They just know their friend would make for an ideal "other" parent. Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein, "Notes from the Underbelly") and Adam Scott ("Parks and Recreation", The Aviator, Leap Year) play the adults believably -- their questions and concerns of what they are and/or are not doing are common and never unbelievable.

Their friends all come from relationships of varying degrees of happiness and success -- Kristen Wiig ("SNL", Bridesmaids, Whip It), Jon Hamm (Bridesmaids, "Mad Men", The Town), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, "SNL", MacGruber), Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, Pirate Radio) and the non-Bridesmaids-actors such as the surprisingly-decent Megan Fox (Transformers, Jennifer's Body, Jonah Hex) and Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen, Saving Private Ryan, 27 Dresses) -- which stir-up even more questions of what a relationship is supposed to be.

There is nothing wrong with Friends with Kids ... it is just rather forgettable and not that memorable (I'm "just saying" that a few months down-the-road this film will not be easily recalled -- NOT disliked, just not clearly remembered is all). Hamm plays "jerk" nicely, Fox doesn't embarrass herself and everyone else gives a reliable/dependable performance although I would have preferred (as mentioned) Westfeldt and Rudolph switching roles.

I did have problems with the film's conclusion; but I won't get into it here as I don't want anything to be spoiled. This is a film about friends, friends and friends and it most-oftentimes succeeds at what it is wanting to say. Some critics might say it glosses over the pressures of parenthood and what it takes/means to be one; but I don't think that is the case when we see movies from Adam Sandler (etc) tackle the same theme with nary a complaint. There are some honest depictions here and Westfeldt knows what she is wanting to say ... it is just that the audience might not pick-up everything that she is wanting to say.

Okay,I wasn't going to say anything but I was so baffled by the other reviews I feel compelled.

This film isn't, just in case you were wondering,' untouched genius'. It's simply , okay. It's like watching people who are quite nice going through a storyline which is slightly familiar. No alarms and no surprises.

I don't wish to add spoilers but one crucial scene which for me explains all the films weaknesses is this; Jennifer Westfeldt looks at herself in the mirror wearing a pair of heels, she decides she doesn't like them , so takes them off and puts on a pair of boots which zip up the side. She sits down on a bed and puts them on, one at a time, then once again she looks at herself in the mirror. This time she is happy with her choice. This is shot in real time, and if memory serves correctly without an edit. Takes about 45 secs. When you write , direct and star [ especially when you haven't been in a movie for a while] ,screen time must be very exciting but filming yourself looking at yourself , pretty explains the whole movie for me.

There's a good reason Kristen Wigg features on the poster, Bridesmaids made millions, she's funny and has got game.

But imagine being in the marketing meeting where you had to explain to Jennifer why her face wouldn't be appearing in any of the advertisements for the film she wrote, directed and starred in. Ouch, that must have been a tough day for her.

There isn't a plot really, the story is really predictable, even though it's different. But in fact, I did not really lose interest and rather felt my time passed by pretty well. The supporting stuff have given some wonderful performances, Edward Burns as the perfect man/potential-husband, and Megan Fox as the perfect girlfriend. But the lead pair could have done better.

One thing that is horrible about the movie is the ending. One of the most horrible endings there could have been, the director tries to be unconventional but fails miserably. MISERABLY. If only the scene went differently I would actually be recommending this movie to those tired of old stuff.