A family affair

I am a bit of a sucker for films that don't require much thought. I love romances and I am all for something light-hearted.

There is no chemistry between Kidman and Efron. Their interactions are uncomfortable and unbelieveable. Kidman is a great actress but this was not the right film for her talents.

I didn't mind the concept or the scrips and I could have happily watched this film multiple times if casting had worked better. Chemistry is so vital.

Joey King is good as is Kathy Bates but that is it.

If you want an age difference romance with leads that are credible and naturally pleasing I recommend The Idea of You with Anne Hathaway and Nicolas Galitzine - chemistry that is believable.

It's a standardized, stale romance that pales in comparison to the recent "The Idea of You" which had a lot more charm, even when that movie wasn't amazing. But it felt a lot cuter than this one and Anne Hathaway made it a lot more believable.

In "A Family Affair" though, the chemistry is visible in the faces of the two main actors instead of between them. That only furthers the artificiality of it all.

The plot evolves in a predictable way, on the acting side there are no standouts and it's directed without much flair. It's astonishing that all the prominent names behind and before the camera agreed to make such a nothing of a movie.

Romantic movies are great - when they work. Both Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman are also fine actors - when they have good materials to work with.

Unfortunately, this movie doesn't work for me. The premise is ok - it's par for the course for romantic movies, and having a big age difference isn't a problem - it can actually be done well: think, "Harold and Maud".

The issue is that I didn't really sense great chemistry between the two characters. The setup just didn't land. Everything seemed forced to go along with what the plot requires. I think a different script could have made a big difference.

Which is ironic, given a plot of the movie.

"A Family Affair" is simply not funny nor romantic. Joey KIng's character just comes across as bitter and hateful, rather than being a humorous obstacle to Efron's and Kidman's characters that she really needed to be.

I know I shouldn't have high expectations for a romantic comedy movie, but this was so bad. Such a waste of potential with such a promising cast.

The most importnat problem for me in this move is that the chemistry between Zac and Nicole was no existent. In all of their scenes looked like they were forced to do them and they did them without energy. They couldn't convince me that they were in love, they gave as nothing when we talk about emotion and their facial expression. In some scenes Zac had more chemistry with Joey.

The story is not bad at all and it could have been a decent romantic movie but it was wasted due to the lack of chemistry between the leads.

I had great expectations for this. Great cast, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Zac Efron and the always amazing Kathy Bates.

While on paper the casting is great, but when you watch this weak romcom it's easy to see that Efron and Kidman have been miscast. Either one would probably have worked very well with another actor but together Efron and Kidman are quite frankly, awful, in this. They have zero chemistry and to me looks like they couldn't even fake it. Their faces seem to lack the ability to portray any natural emotive expressions whatsoever. They are 100% not believable as lovers which makes it really impossible to root for their relationship.

Bates is her usual lovely self, and King is excellent, providing the only comic relief here. They completely carry this film.

Avoid.