Just Friends (Solo amici)

...the "Friend Zone." We've all been in Chris, the main character's, shoes.

The storyline isn't deep - and it's not intended to be. The plot is simple: Guy secretly pines for his best friend, but he's chubby and considered nothing but a friend. After graduating high school, he goes to L.A. to pursue a career, slims down and becomes wealthy and then surprisingly returns home to N.J. only to reunite with his former unrequited love. Despite how successful Chris is in his new life, at his core he's the same and the object of his affection still makes him nervous. Does he pull his head out of his butt and win the girl or does he go back to L.A.? I won't spoil it. But I will say this - See this movie. It's full of laughs and we can all relate to Chris. His family dynamics are hilarious and I guarantee you'll think, if you have siblings, "I've done that". See this flick for entertainment, not for the answer to life's greatest questions. Expect nothing and enjoy everything.

Just Friends is a 2005 romantic comedy that follows a formally obese womanizer who attempts to get out of the friend zone after coming home for Christmas and reconnecting with his high school crush.

This is a fantastic movie that brings its comedy A game right out of the gate and stays funny the whole way through.

Ryan Reynolds stars as Chris Brander, a former overweight and unpopular high school kid who never got the girl of his dreams. Now grown up, and the man he always wanted to be, Chris comes back to his hometown and attempts to get the girl that he never stopped loving.

The cast is terrific, with Reynolds performance and self centered sarcastic demeanor shining with hilarity. As with most Rom Coms, the movie can be pretty predictable at times but that doesn't keep it from being very entertaining. If you've never seen this before, I would recommend checking it out.

I don't understand some of the brutal reviews that this movie has been getting. Ebert gave it a 'D'. He wanted to focus on Reynold's character losing the weight. Seeing as Roger's always been a chubby guy, that's important to him, but it would have made for more of a more expected plot line. My opinion is closer to Entertainment Weekly's 'B+'. Sure, it's a light romantic comedy, but the performances of Anna Faris and Ryan Reynolds alone are worth the price of admission. I thought the characters were all well-played and the dialog moved the movie along faster than its 96 minutes running time. An excellent date movie. Also, a good movie to see with that person that you're trying to get out of the "friend's zone" because you'll end up talking about the movie afterwords.

"Just Friends" is one of the best romantic comedies I have seen in a long time, but my only problem was on how it ended because it seemed like it just wanted to get it done and over with. But I could relate to Amy Smart's character in some ways, so being able to be in touch with the film I think helped a great deal. Also, I loved the jokes! Anna Farris is one of my favorite comedic actresses, she knows how to carry a joke and make her character so funny! She's just a hoot in this film! Amy and Ryan looked so cute together in this film and the jokes are non stop. The love story is also very touching and I think a ton of people could relate to it. So, I would highly recommend this film for a good laugh and a touching one at that. So, sit back and enjoy!

8/10

Maybe it's nostalgia, but rewatching this as an adult was about as fun as I remember as a kid. As far as shitty early 2000's romcoms go- this is a pretty good one. I'm realizing now just how many little quibs in this movie I have continued to say throughout the years. With a fun holiday feel to it, its easy to forgive some of the typical movie tropes this movie is littered with. Looks like Ryan Reynolds has always been capable of leading an entertaining comedy.