Recém-Formada

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.

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-

Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) has planned her academic life since she was in high-school to get a college scholarship; now she has just graduated in English and in her master plan she expects to get a job as assistant editor in the publishing house Happerman & Browning, in Los Angeles. Her platonic best friend is Adam Davis (Zach Gilford) that has a crush on her and is frequently close to her. However, her arrogant classmate Jessica Bard (Catherine Reitman) gets the position and Ryden is forced to return home in the suburb to live with her optimistic father Walter (Michael Keaton) that wants to do everything by himself; her careful mother Carmella (Jane Lynch) that administrates the the short resources of her family; her eccentric grandmother Maureen (Carol Burnett); and her weird little brother Hunter (Bobby Coleman) that wishes to race in a boxcar derby. Ryden unsuccessfully seeks a job position and feels frustrated but is emotionally supported by Adam. When Walter accidentally runs over the cat of his next-door neighbor David Santiago (Rodrigo Santoro) with Ryden's car, they visit him to give their sympathies. Ryden feels attracted by the handsome Brazilian and has a brief affair with him, forgetting Adam that decides to move to New York to study in the law school of Columbia. Meanwhile Ryden is invited to join Happerman & Browning and she discovers that feelings cannot be planned.

"Post Grad" is one of those movies that professional movie critics hate and obviously will never be awarded or nominated or even participate in festivals. The low IMDb User Rating (5.1/10 with 2,128 votes) is an evidence of the foregoing statement. However, this romantic comedy is an enjoyable family entertainment recommended for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The delightful film is funny and very pleasant, with a good message. Alexis Bledel, from "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants", is one of the most beautiful actresses of the younger generation and the role of Ryden Malby seems to be tailored for her. The Brazilian Rodrigo Santoro and the unknown Zach Gilford have good participation as romantic pairs of Alexis Bledel. The veterans Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch and Carol Burnett have an effective participation composing a very weird suburban family. The shameful DVD released in Brazil by Fox do Brasil does not have subtitles in Portuguese. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Recém Formada – E Agora?" ("Just Graduated – And Now?")

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

The storyline, cast, scenery, and such are remedy for a decent product. The more I see it, the scenes are yes quirky but believably normal. Some comments I've heard about this is that the 1 star raring is deserved but I wish this film was reconsidered considering the content. The editing may have been off or something but the meat of the movie is charmingly comfortable to watch. The lines are great, don'tcha think? I'm keeping this as more of a discussion topic rather than an actual review. From the house, the family car, the boyfriend situation, the temptations lurking next door, the cat scene, I mean there are so many parts to this movie that is lovable.