The Rewrite

Stories about writers who are having difficulty putting pen to paper are a dime a dozen, but I found this one charming. Hugh Grant plays the fallow screenwriter who follows the adage, "Those who can't...teach." His life is a total failure on all fronts, but he manages to survive thanks to a droll wit and his refusal to lay down and die.

Marisa Tomei plays the object of his distracted attention with her usual aplomb. Without committing to anything, she becomes the rudder to his floundering ship, with insight and a tender recognition for his hidden value. But it is Grant who makes this film something special, imbuing every scene with an honesty that makes the story enjoyable. Here he is not so glib as he is dealing with the trials of every moment.

This is a sleeper I must recommend.

I did not expect much from this movie, surprisingly I smiled from start to finish. The Rewrite is a lively comedy about second chance and self-acceptance. A one-time awarded Hollywood screenwriter takes a job as a writer-in-residence at Binghampton University! "Gotta pay the bills"…It's a far cry from his former glorious LA life and his teaching skills are questionable. As the leading man, Grant embraces his maturity in this project, it suits him well. I was charmed by the chemistry from a solid cast including Allison Janney as a humorless Jane Austen scholar and the radiant Marisa Tomei. Sometimes all we need is one humble witty comedy like The Rewrite!

Hugh Grant is an icon and icons get older too, like the rest of us mortals. Here's a wonderful movie portraying a 'has been' screenplay writer in Hollywood struggling through life, divorced and no clue how to be a dad to his 18 year old son, which he didn't speak to for over a year. He hits rock bottom and is forced to teach at a remote university upstate New York to pay his bills.

In the bumpy process through it all he realizes that teaching gives him a true perspective on his own life and enjoyment for being valued by his students. He finds peace in not juggling anymore in Tinseltown. The script is magnificent, it tells a story through a comic lens with a melodramatic touch. It's a a classic romantic comedy with lots of nice movie clichés. Hugh Grant didn't loose his touch, he matured and accepts it, the floppy hair turned grey. Excellent casting by the way. Nice to see Marisa Tomei, Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons in a supporting role.

Early this year, this reviewer went to see the 2013 film 'Love Is the Perfect Crime', a French-language film about a student-seducing literature professor, with plenty of bloody murder and mayhem. By contrast 'The Rewrite', from Castle Rock, is a gentle comedy set in the academic world of Binghamton, New York.

'The Rewrite' tells the story of a washed-up script-writer who is forced to take up a job teaching script-writing. The decent trailer for this film shows this, and the selection procedure for the class, which we quickly get to, and so gives you a good idea what to expect in the film. Hugh Grant plays the part of this writer-turned-teacher.

Hugh Grant has previously given us classic comedies, such as 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (1994), 'Mickey Blue Eyes' and 'Notting Hill' both of 1999, and 'About a Boy' (2002). In 'AaB', Mr Grant played a one-hit-wonder pop-star trying to fill the rest of his life, so this role is somewhat similar.

In a recent interview Mr Grant described how his life had taken a dramatic change in recent years, which forced him into political activity, thus also forcing him into having a much lesser role in the movie business. With regard to 'The Rewrite', Mr Grant said that audience reaction now made him realize that his age prevented him from playing certain scenes, and one true-life scene had him looking back unable to capture his former glory.

Thus this film, 'The Rewrite', in reality, can be seen as a turning point, where the previously foppish young Hugh Grant, has now turned into the now mature Hugh Grant. This real-life journey for Mr Grant, is one that is also faced by his character in this film, thus does the art imitate real-life.

The realistic scenario for this film was written by Marc Lawrence, who previously wrote the classic 'Miss Congeniality' (2000). One cannot help wonder how autobiographical the one-hit-wonder script-writer plot is. Certainly all the Hollywood-related scenes have a truly authentic feel to them. Marc Lawrence, who directed, as well as wrote, this film, and actor Hugh Grant, have given us a vision of life that seems very believable.

What must be stated, is how good Mr Lawrence's script is. Nearly every line is clever and funny, though if you laugh-out-loud you may miss the next line. There are also some poignant moments in the film too, and these are expertly directed, and are expertly conveyed to us, sometimes just by using silence. Tremendous!

Director Marc Lawrence is Brooklyn-born, as is leading-lady Marisa Tomei. Miss Tomei did the lovely rom-coms 'My Cousin Vinny' (1992) and 'Only You' (1994). In more recent years, she did the more serious 'Before The Devil Knows You Are Dead' (2007) and 'The Wrestler' (2008). Miss Tomei turned down appearing in the 1994 film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Here, at last, she plays opposite Hugh Grant.

Miss Tomei's character is an optimistic and pushy mature-student, with a very full life. However, unlike Jason Alexander's 'Seinfeld' character George Costanza, who admitted "I have a thing for Marisa Tomei" in 'Seinfeld' (Series 7, Episode 14), Hugh Grant's student-seducing character strangely seems unable to lift his eyes from the young bit-of-skirt to see Marisa Tomei. "What's not to like!" as George would say. NB Castle Rock made 'Seinfeld'.

The plot of 'The Rewrite' has our jaded LA-based script-writer relocating to small-town Binghamton. Thus, it is similar in theme to 'Groundhog Day' (1993), in which the jaded weather-man has to leave New York to meet Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, in "rural Pennsylvania". How appropriate it is then that this similar rom-com plot, again has Chris Elliott in a supporting role.

There is also good support from the supporting-cast who make up the motley-crew of the screen-writing class. Serious actor JK Simmons, who has appeared regularly in several of the Law & Order TV franchises, and who terrified us in the TV series 'Oz', here gets to do some touching comedy. Allison Janney too, gives strong support.

Australian-born Bella Heathcote has the biggest part in the writing-class, and she acts it well, but perhaps the more poignant scenes were with Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and particularly, Steven Kaplan, who was in the best scene in the film.

The clever and funny script teaches us a little about the English language, script-writing, and life in general. Suitable to those in education, and also those interested in film-making, as well as all others, this film is surprisingly realistic, and has a clever and funny script, as well as some thought-provoking moments.

What's not to like! 10/10.

PS. Jumping out of my seat at the start of the credits, this reviewer nearly missed some nice scenes that accompanied the credits, so do stay to catch them, as they are well worth seeing.

Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics, etc) both wrote and directed this light hearted comedy and while its focus is on comedy, the film has a lot to say about midlife crises, career choices, student life, and learning to be optimistic.

An Oscar-winning writer, Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is on hard times – poor followup films, no interest from the industry, bad debts, a divorce, and writer's block – and his agent finds him a screen writing teaching job in Binghamton, NY at SUNY. Arriving in the town he is put off by the incessant rain, drinks in a local bar and picks up a student (Bella Heathcote) who wants to be in his screen writing class and his bed, and makes a fool of himself at the faculty welcoming reception when he angers the Jane Austen expert Mary Weldon (Allison Janney), embarrasses his boss Dr Lerner (JK Simmons), and has a wretched start with his first class (instead of reading the 30 screenplays from which he is to select his class he instead goes online and selects the most attractive girls). He encounters Holly (Marisa Tomei), a single mom taking classes there and that develops slowly into a meaningful, life changing relationship. Despite the efforts of friends he has made, his affair with a student nearly dismisses him from his job, but he stays because of his unexpected growing interest in his students and in teaching – and Holly, of course.

The movie is light but good hearted and Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei et all make it very worth watching.