TIFF 2015: BLACK MASS Review

Director Scott Cooper has always had a knack for creating atmosphere. With only two feature films under his belt he has established quite a distinctive voice, but unfortunately his films have begun to deteriorate in quality as he goes along as well. I really kind of loved Cooper's 2009 debut that won Jeff Bridges a Best Actor statue and even found the consistently depressing Out of the Furnace to be a strong if not exceptional entry, but Black Mass is by far his least satisfying film yet. It's not for a lack of trying as there is clearly a large amount of effort that has been put into this production. The period setting is especially well rendered and Johnny Depp's lead performance as James "Whitey" Bulger almost single-handedly saves the production from being a complete loss, but even he can only do so much. It is impossible to talk about Black Mass without talking about the state of Depp's career and how badly he needed this to be both a critical and commercial success so as to reestablish himself as the "movie star" he was pinned as after Pirates of the Caribbean and while I'm sure the film will make a fine amount of money (not a huge amount, but fine) this will in no way place the actor in the "return to form" category many were already deciding to call ithis. What it is is a fine showcase for a talented actor to do what he does best and with as showy a role as this is Depp certainly delivers. It is all the factors surrounding this performance that don't live up to their potential with the main problem being screenwriters Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth not finding an interesting way to adapt Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's book.

New Trailer & Posters for BLACK MASS Starring Johnny Depp

Black Mass, the third feature from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace), is one of my most anticipated films of the fall. It was recently announced the film would have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival as well as make an appearance at the Toronto International Film festival shortly before it's wide release date. While the first trailer teased the seeming sinister performance of Johnny Depp, this latest trailer highlights the thick plot of the film. Depp plays gangster Whitey Bulger who is the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston and just so happens to be the brother of a state senator (Benedict Cumberbatch). Bulger became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf while still conducting himself in all kinds of horrible ways. Simply put: I love movies like this-the ones that are now slight period pieces, crime sagas with a tone you can smell just from reading the synopsis or seeing stills along with a cast of great talent playing the story to its highest potential. I was a big fan of Crazy Heart and was on the loving side of Furnace when it came and went quietly at the end of 2013 and so, if nothing else, I look forward to what Cooper has to offer next and it looks as if he has plenty to work with. Cooper knows how to elicit an atmosphere and in attempting his first period piece, that will be key to the critical success of the film as well as hopefully its commercial prospects. Black Mass also stars Sienna Miller, Joel Edgerton, Juno Temple, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, Adam Scott, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Nicholson, Jesse Plemons and opens on September 18th.

First Trailer for BLACK MASS Starring Johnny Depp

Black Mass, the third feature from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace), landed just outside my top ten most anticipated films of the year, but if this first look is any indication it may well be one of the best of the year. While this is clearly just a teaser of what is to come it clearly knows where its strengths lie and that looks to be the sinister performance of Johnny Depp. Depp plays gangster Whitey Bulger who is the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston and just so happens to be the brother of a state senator. Bulger became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf while still conducting himself in all kinds of horrible ways. Simply put: I love movies like this-the ones that are now slight period pieces, crime sagas with a tone you can smell just from reading the synopsis or seeing the still above and a cast of great talent playing the story to its highest potential. I was a big fan of Crazy Heart and was on the loving side of Furnace when it came and went quietly at the end of 2013 and so, if nothing else, I look forward to what Cooper has to offer next and it looks like he has plenty to work with. Cooper knows how to elicit an atmosphere and in attempting his first period piece, that will be key to the critical success of the film as well as hopefully its commercial prospects. Besides Depp the film will also feature Benedict Cumberbatch, Sienna Miller, Joel Edgerton, Juno Temple, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, Adam Scott, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Nicholson and Jesse Plemons. Black Mass opens September 18th.

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 Review

I don’t know if it’s because I’m older and maybe less impressionable, but while I found the original Hot Tub Time Machine to be humorous in its attempt at pure ridiculousness this sequel seems to be latching so hard to the absurdity of the first that it just falls flat on its face every single time it tries. I guess trying is maybe too kind of a word as it seems that is the last thing on the people behind this debacles mind as they contort and twist their way around one too many reasons why John Cusack isn’t back for this go around. I can’t say it really adds or takes away anything with Cusack not being present in the sequel, but more he was smart to stay away from it even if the truth is he wasn’t asked back at all. The funnier route to go would have been to publicly acknowledge how difficult the actor was to work with by having his friends in the film say how they never really liked him anyway and that he quit hanging out with them after they got back to the present and leave it at that. Instead, the script from Josh Heald, who also wrote the original and who has only penned one other film outside the hot tub franchise called Mardi Gras: Spring Break is doing nothing here but walking in circles and hoping the chemistry between the characters will be enough to elicit laughs from the audience. Instead, the friendships seem stale, the tone is beyond unenthusiastic and worst of all the movie just sits there with second rate components and characters who have no idea what they’re doing. This should be a sequel where, much like its predecessor, it exists simply to have a little fun or as an excuse to let off a little steam and laugh at something meaningless, but rather than simply go for emphasizing the camaraderie between the cast and letting these guys pre-defined senses of humor spill out over the presented outlandish scenarios both Heald and director Steve Pink bog them down in semantics of the plot and scenarios so forced we can't hardly buy into any of it being remotely funny despite the one thing anyone going into this should know is that it's all completely ridiculous. Ridiculous can be funny, but forcing laughs never is and that is Hot Tub Time Machine 2's greatest offense.

Trailer Roundup: SUPER BOWL XLIX

As Sunday draws closer we have begun to see early releases of not only commercials, but some of the movie spots that will be making their way into your living room this Sunday. Yesterday we got a glimpse of a few big releases including new looks at The Avengers, Terminator and The Divergent Series: Insurgent. Each of these promising some serious bang for your buck when they hit theaters. Revealing your entire spot has become common over the last few years and is understandable when you're spending $4.5 million for thirty seconds. We were able to get a quick peak at Brad Bird's Tomorrowland earlier this week, but you can catch the full spot from the broadcast now as well as the festive spot for Minions and the banned Hot Tub Time Machine 2 commercial that didn't air due to its content poking fun at deflategate. The first official trailer for Ted 2 dropped Thursday and now you can get a look at the big game spot featuring Tom Brady. Furious 7 also made a grand appearance and upped the ante for what we expect from this franchise by putting on display some insane stunts that hopefully don't give away the best parts of the movie. No surprise spot for Mission: Impossible 5, but there was that glimpse at Heroes Reborn that will be airing soon on NBC that I had no idea was even happening. Other trailers that aired include an enticing look at Jurassic World, Pitch Perfect 2, a game-incorporated Inside Out tease, this weeks Seventh Son and the Vince Vaughn comedy Unfinished Business. Check out all of the Super Bowl trailers below.

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Review

A sense of anticipation and excitement fills me whenever Ben Stiller decides to direct a film and to know that his latest, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, was as much a passion project as it was an option for the producing studio to re-make a classic title that starred Danny Kaye from the late 40's only upped my anticipation for what would hopefully turn out to be an insightful and life affirming tale of a man equally forced and scared out of the direction he once believed his life was going to take. Many people take issue with Stiller for reasons I can understand, but that mostly pertains to his acting ability, comic schtick and lack of range rather than the creative choices he makes when he is in full control. The guy can make however many Focker and Night at the Museum movies he'd like and I will still attend them because there is simply something about him and his ability to play the everyman with the right touch of comedy that appeals to me, but seems to have worn thin with many audiences. The good news here is that Stiller keeps his persona in check and the outright moments that are played for laughs to a minimum simply allowing the story to breathe. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is truly something to take on and though I have not seen the original Kaye version nor have I read the short story from James Thurber that inspired both films, it seems best to take Stiller's version on its own terms as it has modernized the themes that were likely the spirit of the original source material. I was floored by the initial trailer for this film as I had the rare experience of seeing it for the first time on a theater screen rather than on my phone or computer and with no pre-conception of what to expect. The tone, the shot selection, the music and everything else about it were sprawling yet exquisitely calculated and seemed primed to hint at a complete film that not only allowed for a bit of fantastical elements amidst the doldrums of a nine to five routine, but looked to say something akin to what we find on the inside of greeting cards without all the cheese and ingenuity. Instead, with a sense of real merit and heart; something that would speak across all kinds of racial and generational boundaries to the simple fact that life is worth living, so go out and make something of it. Stiller's film is indeed beautifully captured and delicately precise, but it never reaches the emotional heights it seemed so intent on achieving and in that regard it never truly captures the audience, but gives us more an interesting perspective than an engulfing experience.

First Trailer for THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

It is not customary anymore to see a trailer for the first time when your sitting in a theater seat as much as it is in front of your computer screen. Given the power of YouTube and the ease of access it is no wonder things have wound up this way, but I still remember the rush of excitement that came with seeing new trailers in front of movies and having no idea what they might turn out to be. In many ways I'd thought this was something lost with the internet, but I was able to experience those feelings of surprise again last weekend when I sat down for a Thursday night screening of The Wolverine. The opening trailer began and I didn't immediately recognize it, yet as soon as we saw Ben Stiller I realized what we were getting. I've always been a big fan of Stiller's and especially of his directorial works. Both Zoolander and Tropic Thunder are high caliber comedies that last and offer big laughs every time I watch them. Having had his hand in the re-make of Danny Kaye's 1947 film for some time now, it is nice to see he has really taken the time and care to perfect what looks like his most ambitious project to date. Taking a very simplistic approach the trailer lets the images do the talking as we only get a few words from Stiller and not much from anyone else. We see glimpses of both Adam Scott and Kristen Wiig and how their roles in Walter's life influence what he becomes when he drifts into the fantasy-land that creates the hook for this tale about a seemingly boring proofreader at TIME magazine. The trailer has an air of profound understanding to it, a tone that tells the audience it is a piece of art that truly hopes to move you, to make you feel something. I'm truly excited for this film and will certainly include it on my top 10 most anticipated films for the fall of 2013. It is unclear of the Award chances the film stands, but if the film delivers on what the trailer promises I wouldn't be surprised to see Stiller in the running come February. Also, bonus points for the great use of Of Monsters and Men's "Dirty Paws". The film also stars Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt, and Shirley MacLaine. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opens on Christmas day.

THE GUILT TRIP Review

The Guilt Trip really has no right to be as good, as touching, or even as funny as it turns out to be. There is an entire genre for these kinds of brisk, whimsy holiday films that take a subject everyone can relate to and turns them into a by the numbers production that we can all leave happy with. In some ways these comfort food type films are what the movies are all about. They are escapism with a sense of audience and what that audience needs to feel a sense of satisfaction when leaving the theater. There are no surprises, there is no topic to stir conversation, there is simply a story that we all know and when this kind of movie is done right it also has that flair that reassures us we are doing pretty well in leading our day to day lives. This may sound like I might be over thinking a simple road trip comedy that is intended for nothing more than a little extra laughter around the holidays, a film that can be put on at any time of year and everyone approve, but this needs to be said because despite The Guilt Trip falling into all of these categories quite neatly it has that little something extra that pushes it past all the expectations anyone who dismisses the generic poster might have. One may sit down with the perception that this will be an indulgence in mindless entertainment but by the time the credits come around and you are sitting there with the surprised feeling of emotional connection, something a little more than simple contentment you come to appreciate the work put into crafting a film that follows the rules while being able to exceed the average..

BACHELORETTE Review

It is hard to really have an opinion on Bachelorette more than that of a simple meh. It is funny sure, a little surprising with how dark the humor sometimes goes, but in the end does it come off as anything more than a subpar version of last years mega-successful Bridesmaids? Not really, it is, in its lowest form attempting to capitalize on the indention left by Kristin Wiig's film. Just because the film follows a similar setup does not allow us to dismiss it as pure junk though. In fact, there is no reason not to like Bachelorette unless you are easily offended by some pretty nasty people. This is what provokes much of the humor here though. The idea that not one of our three lead characters is even remotely likable ups the ante for first time director Leslye Headland, who also concocted these characters, to make her audience want to watch these people. Lucky for us, despite their sometimes vile actions towards who they are supposedly "friends" with this ultimately comes to be a film about redemption and how three very different women on three different paths are brought face to face with their issues when the one from their high school click who likely had the least aspirations yet has come out ahead of them all. You can chock it up to a writer/director who wanted to express a more genuine look at women and how they might act in their most desperate forms who simply had the misadventure of taking it through this vein because it is a guaranteed success in how hijink comedies go these days. Lucky for us, the film features some sharp writing and a great cast who turns this into a fun enough time.

Joe (Kyle Bornheimer), Trevor (James Marsden), Dale
(Hayes MacArthur), and Clyde (Adam Scott)
get ready for a night out.

I will admit though that a good amount of the time I spent watching Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan parading around on screen while giving it their all to deliver the funny that they were almost trying to hard because they desperately wanted to be a part of that community of funny women that made up last years similarly-themed ensemble. It is even more fitting that they seemed to be chasing the goals set by Wiig and co. figuratively while literally chasing after what Rebel Wilson's character already had. Wilson played the female half of the weird sibling pair who were roommates with Wiig in Bridesmaids and so she is seemingly getting the best of both worlds here. Wilson is a talented Australian comic (check out some of her you tube videos) who is slighted here as the bride to be that isn't your typical high maintenance, pretty face that is getting what she likely deserves in a husband instead of settling. I did like however that Headland gave the groom no ulterior motives and instead made him a general, stand-up kinda guy. While I would have liked to see more of Wilson I will likely get that chance soon enough as she seems to be stealing the show in the upcoming Pitch Perfect, but I can't say that I was let down by the drug abusing, terror causing trio that is Dunst, Fisher, and Caplan. The chemistry is there, especially between Fisher and Caplan who sound off one liners like nobody's business. Caplan as the bitter and narcissistic Gena who lives in LA with no job, no ambition and a thing for her high school boyfriend that won't go away. Fisher is the ditz with a drug problem who is so stupid its cute. Fisher plays the role to perfection and drops some of the best lines but when it comes to the somewhat poignant ending these two stories wrap up with a bit too much sap for their own good.

Katie (Isla Fisher), Regan (Kirsten Dunst), and Gena
(Lizzie Caplan)  overcome some serious obstacles the
night before their friends wedding.

The lead role of Regan, the college graduate who is dating a guy in medical school and eats right as she so often likes to point out is where our focus lies though. In this lead role Kirsten Dunst defines her status as the VOD queen (All Good Things, Melancholia) as she turns in the most commanding and demanding performance in the piece. Regan is the sole member left of their high school squad that still lives close to Becky (Wilson) and is tasked with the maid of honor duties that have her planning the wedding she believes she so rightly deserves over her friend because of who or at least how she is. While the major disconnect for me is that while these girls naturally seem to get along there has clearly always been a rift between Becky and her three, beautifully standard friends. Why are they still around? Why is it even a big deal if they come to the wedding if it would just be easier to not have the reserved and overweight Becky as a part of their clique. Regardless, once Becky has retired from the tame bachelorette party Regan, Gena, and Katie are allowed to let loose a little and regain that same dynamic that likely existed through high school while continuing to show how little they've actually matured. Regan has always been the ringleader, the overachiever while Gena and Katie were likely the bimbo cheerleader and pretty goth who both remained so wrapped up in their personal lives they decided nothing else in life was important including where they were heading. Gena now sleeps in every day and likely with a different guy while Katie works in retail while retaining little of what schooling she ever received. They are a mess of a group and thus this makes them pretty entertaining to watch it just doesn't always remain consistently interesting.

Gena and Clyde have a past that is hard to overcome
when they meet again at Becky's wedding.

As stated at the beginning of the review no matter how hard the movie tries it simply can't rise above a mere feeling of carelessness. I enjoyed it well enough as I imagine anyone who might like a raunchy little comedy on a Tuesday night would, but there is nothing about the film that stands out. The performances are fine, there is nothing to complain about there except for the fact that the excellent male cast is also under-utilized. Also, am I noticing a new pattern of featured comics that like working together here? While James Marsden and Adam Scott are certainly bigger names that you would think warrant more screen time but the skimmed over roles of Joe (Kyle Borrnheimer) and Dale (Hayes MacArthur) are what really intrigued me. These guys have starred in She's Out of My League and the failed sitcom Perfect Couples as well as several smaller roles in different films over the past few years along with David Walton and T.J. Miller. This really has nothing to do with the film other than it adds to the fact I'm interested to see where these guys are able to go in the next few years. While all these guys, along with Marsden and Scott are used for nothing more here than to see that each of our girls end up with a nice guy I was kind of surprised it went that way at all. Bachelorette has that women-hate-men attitudes going for it, that mantality of they don't need men in their lives other than for trophy purposes, maybe. And maybe that's the point. Forcing home the idea that men need women just as much as they need us; which turns out, according to Headland is not all that much, we simply like to entertain the idea of the fairytale. There is something about the film that draws you in, and it could be several things, but I'll settle for the fact that it's just downright funny sometimes and I didn't mind wasting eighty-seven minutes on it at all.

      

BACHELORETTE Review

It is hard to really have an opinion on Bachelorette more than that of a simple meh. It is funny sure, a little surprising with how dark the humor sometimes goes, but in the end does it come off as anything more than a subpar version of last years mega-successful Bridesmaids? Not really, it is, in its lowest form attempting to capitalize on the indention left by Kristin Wiig's film. Just because the film follows a similar setup does not allow us to dismiss it as pure junk though. In fact, there is no reason not to like Bachelorette unless you are easily offended by some pretty nasty people. This is what provokes much of the humor here though. The idea that not one of our three lead characters is even remotely likable ups the ante for first time director Leslye Headland, who also concocted these characters, to make her audience want to watch these people. Lucky for us, despite their sometimes vile actions towards who they are supposedly "friends" with this ultimately comes to be a film about redemption and how three very different women on three different paths are brought face to face with their issues when the one from their high school click who likely had the least aspirations yet has come out ahead of them all. You can chock it up to a writer/director who wanted to express a more genuine look at women and how they might act in their most desperate forms who simply had the misadventure of taking it through this vein because it is a guaranteed success in how hijink comedies go these days. Lucky for us, the film features some sharp writing and a great cast who turns this into a fun enough time.

FRIENDS WITH KIDS Review

When I first heard about "Friends with Kids" I thought it was some type of early title for the film that later became "Bridesmaids". The majority of the casts are the same here with the exception of leads in "Friends with Kids" are Adam Scott and writer director Jennifer Westfeldt. Though these movies share a similar sense of theme and tone this is nowhere near the all out comedy that the superior "Bridesmaids" was and this adheres closer to the rom-com standards that "Bridesmaids" refused to follow. While it is unfair to judge this film in comparison with another simply because they share many of the same actors it is also inevitable and with such an indie vibe and presence to the film there will certainly be the expectations for this to be more original than it turns out to be. While I have never seen Ms. Westfeldt's previous writing effort, 2001's "Kissing Jessica Stein" but while she did write the film under revision here it is also her directorial debut. For having to manage so many roles including the lead character, she does in fact navigate the story and characters well. "Friends with Kids" separates itself from the standard romantic comedy by being genuinely witty and in touch with the topic that it is exploring. Not only is the dialogue refreshingly honest but it also gets right to the heart of the issues each character is dealing with and presents a new take on the state of change our lives take when we decide to make as major a decision as bringing another life into the world. This is obviously a complication very close to Westfeldt's heart as you can feel the process of her mind working through the different perspectives with her dialogue. Unfortunately she has to resolve it somehow and most of the time these thoughts aren't wrapped up as neatly as a Hollywood script would have you believe.

Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) are unsure
if being best friends will make them good parents.

The story follows a group of friends who when we are first introduced to them are pre-kids and enjoy their New York lifestyle. Julie (Westfeldt) who is approaching her forties with no luck in the long term relationship department and the yearning to be at a stage in life where all of her friends are suddenly finding themselves becomes suddenly the all important ingrediant in life. Seeing their friends go from love making socialites to the unrecognizeable, tired people who are trying their best to make it through the day without killing one another sparks the idea that maybe she doesn't need marriage to have a baby or to be happy. Lucky for her she has a best friend in Jason (Adam Scott) and they seem perfect for each other from the beginning if it weren't for that lack of sexual attraction between the two. Jason and Julie are very up front with one another and so there are no qualms when it comes to feeling comfortable with having the other person to raise a child with, but while the set up of having a child with your friend with out all the complications and obligations of marriage initially sounds like a great idea, our characters of course do not think this through and indeed prove conventions correct. There to comment on the situation and display every reason possible to support Jason and Julie's experimet are their four best friends Ben (Westfeldt's real life love Jon Hamm) and Missy (Kristin Wiig), Leslie (Maya Rudolph) and Alex (the wonderful Chris O'Dowd). Ben and Missy used to frolic everywhere they had a chance and were completely in love until the raising of children came between them and result in a sad truth of todays society. Leslie and Alex are the first who branch out and have kids but while they clearly love the idea of it, they were completely unprepared for the changes their life would take.

From left: Alex (Chris O'Dowd), Missy (Kristin Wiig), Leslie
(Maya Rudolph), and Ben (Jon Hamm) make their way to
Jason and Julies apartment to see how parenthood is
suiting them.

While "Friends with Kids" certainly has its moments, it takes what feels like forever to get where it's going and when it does it is what we saw coming a mile away. It throws a through curves in there in the form of Ed Burns and Megan Fox as two love interests for both Jason and Julie which naturally brings the realization to both that they could never actually live out their lives without being as close to one another as they are when both are simply dating casually or deciding to bring a life into the world. Usually, I hate when movies will try to spring an un-conventional way or at least shine a new light on ways of thinking just to recoil and decide not to be bold enough to follow through on that statement. It is different with this film though as even from the first reading of what the premise was you could tell what a bad idea it was going to be and how awful it would probably turn out if the situation panned out as our leads originally planned. Bringing a child into the world means taking o the responsibility of raising it and to Jason and Julie this always seemed more like something cool to do, a natural next step in life that they'd like to test out, but are never fully committed to or willing to put what it takes into it. Julie seems to realize this first and thus the fact her and Jasons original plan isn't going to work. Scott plays Jason as kind of a pig though preventing him from realizing how selfish and ignorant he is being when the reality of the situation attempts to slap him in the face over and over. While Scott and Westfeldt give nice performances and meet the demands of the oddly sit-com like feel this whole thing has I would have much rather seen a movie based around O'dowd and Rudolphs characters, I guess I will have to wait for Judd Apatow's "This is Forty" later this year to see that film though.

Jason realizes at just the right moment that his new girlfreind
Mary Jane (Megan Fox) is not the one for him.

"Friends with Kids" is by no means a bad film, it just, like Jason and Julies relationship, has some complications. The tone feels low key and a bit amateur while the pacing is off and the story drags from time to time as if trying to simply fill out a decent running time only to feel it is running out of time once it reached the conclusion. A few revisions to the script or at least a few more edits could have certainly helped this, but the importat point is the idea with which Westfeldt was attempting to get across and for the most part, I think she accomplished that. Her characters are fleshed out and their personalities are strong. The dialogue, as noted earlier, is quick witted and snappy, nothing like an actual conversation but a world where people can perfectly articulate their thoughts the first time out. It is a perfectly acceptable romantic comedy with a hint of vulgarity that doesn't go overboard, but it displays a script that tries so hard at first to go against the grain while following the blueprint of every other film of its genre. It was also nice of her beau and all her funny friends to show up and lend their names to her small film, but they end up leaving us wanting more from them while this is in all actuality a breakthrough in Adam Scott's career that solidifies he can hold down a leading role in a film. Hamm has some nice moments and O'Dowd continues to prove his worth while Fox also is more bearable here than ever before. There is plenty here to like, and if you are renting something a few months down the road on a night in this would do perfectly, but don't get a babysitter to watch the kids just to see a movie about what your life used to be.

FRIENDS WITH KIDS Review

When I first heard about "Friends with Kids" I thought it was some type of early title for the film that later became "Bridesmaids". The majority of the casts are the same here with the exception of leads in "Friends with Kids" are Adam Scott and writer director Jennifer Westfeldt. Though these movies share a similar sense of theme and tone this is nowhere near the all out comedy that the superior "Bridesmaids" was and this adheres closer to the rom-com standards that "Bridesmaids" refused to follow. While it is unfair to judge this film in comparison with another simply because they share many of the same actors it is also inevitable and with such an indie vibe and presence to the film there will certainly be the expectations for this to be more original than it turns out to be. While I have never seen Ms. Westfeldt's previous writing effort, 2001's "Kissing Jessica Stein" but while she did write the film under revision here it is also her directorial debut. For having to manage so many roles including the lead character, she does in fact navigate the story and characters well. "Friends with Kids" separates itself from the standard romantic comedy by being genuinely witty and in touch with the topic that it is exploring. Not only is the dialogue refreshingly honest but it also gets right to the heart of the issues each character is dealing with and presents a new take on the state of change our lives take when we decide to make as major a decision as bringing another life into the world. This is obviously a complication very close to Westfeldt's heart as you can feel the process of her mind working through the different perspectives with her dialogue. Unfortunately she has to resolve it somehow and most of the time these thoughts aren't wrapped up as neatly as a Hollywood script would have you believe.