Maman, j'ai raté ma vie

How is it possible that when you put together an esteemed actress with the ambassador of a new generation comedy that you get a second rate movie? For starters this film started off as a wannabe comedy. It was as if the cast were trying their hardest to make us laugh but it just did not work. The obsessive neurotic mother with the geeky kind of son was somewhat off for laughs.

Then the conversation developed, the story unfolded but despite the charm and warmth it conveyed as well as being engaging, it never really went beyond making the audience smile, so the supposed comedy never happened which is a shame as the ingredients were there.

I almost turned this off about a half hour in; I couldn't figure out how a comedy with Streisand and Rogen couldn't be sharp & fresh and frankly, the first 30minutes or so seemed sort of dull and tired.

Anyhow, as says my summary, I'm happy I stuck it out because it picked up, came together a bit and turned into a really sweet, funny and thoughtful movie, with a lovely ending thankfully NOT so pat and perfect that it makes you want to barf.

Streisand and Rogen have an easy and convincing mother-son chemistry and naturally it is always a kick watching Streisand transform from a serious, self-controlled operatic diva into these goofy, playful, self-deprecating comedic roles.

At the beginning of the movie I would agree with some of the sentiments of the reviewers (see the scathing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes), however I stuck with it and was rewarded.

The second half really picks up and everything comes to frankly a touching and satisfying conclusion with great performances.

Which just confirms that many reviewers must have skipped out after only watching about 30 minutes of the movie and reviewed it based on the first weakest segment.

As the movie progresses the performances, the chemistry between Rogan and Streisand, the story and the comedy takes off and it becomes the movie you hoped it would be. It really has a heart, you just need to be patient for it to come along. Hang in there ;-)

Filmmakers take note - you HAVE to grab your audience in the first 20-30 minutes, especially if some of them are jaded reviewers watching screener DVDs that they might just skip if they get the least bit bored and publish a scathing review as punishment.

This isn't a laugh until you cry comedy, nor is it a deeply touching movie. It is still fun, mostly because of Streisand.

Its nice so see Babs finally relax again and do some comedy. She really shows off her lighter side and she's fun and endearing.

"You want to drive cross-country in a car with me?" Joyce Brewster (Barbra Streisand)

Trust me –you don't want to take this trip. The problem with The Guilt Trip is that most of the lame comedy takes place in a subcompact car with two not very interesting characters, a Jewish mother, Joyce (Streisand), and her son, Andrew (Seth Rogen). You will want to get out as soon as you can, and you will feel guilt for wasting 95 minutes.

Not that more of that clichéd Jewish guilt wouldn't have been welcomed after the first act's slow setup (Andy asking mom to join him on a trip out West). Not even those stops along the way would relieve your boredom, given the pedestrian set pieces in a strip bar, a steak house, and a casino, among other seemingly random choices except that inventor Andrew visits those cities to hawk his edible cleaning product.

You can amuse yourself by counting the number of product placements ("They know me at The Gap!"), some from K Mart, Costco, Budget Rental Cars, and other businesses. For those companies, their products come off very well from Andrew's tepid pitch. Only when he finds his selling voice, does the film come alive and Rogen awakens from a sleepy first hour for him.

Making comedies is a Las Vegas gamble: Witness the uneven but far more amusing This is 40, a Judd Apatow production that at least tries to be witty about social issues for aging youngsters. The Guilt Trip tries one bit—the overbearing Jewish mother and wimpy son—and doesn't get it right (Whatever happened to that Oriental girl?").

Now I'm feeling guilty.