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Larry Crowne - quick review (1 Viewer)

Patrick Sun

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Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunite onscreen for a small, quaint little film, which was light and fluffy, and went down like comfort food. Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks' character), high-achieving employee at UMart, has hit the ceiling for career advancement due to his lack of college education, and a college degree, and is unceremoniously let go. In order to make a change, Larry goes back to college, and there he makes friends, learns from his professors, and finds a spark between himself and Prof. Tainot (Julia Roberts' character), who is in a crumbling marriage (hubby played by Bryan Cranston). Tom Hanks directed, and co-wrote (with Nia Vardalos) this film, and it's a throwback to character-driven movies where characters are all but down and out, and find a way back to the business of living with unexpected help from literally new blood/people in his life. The movie's tone is quite suited for its story, and paced very well. The film does ask the audience to buy into some of the premises to make the story work, and it's hit-or-miss at times as the supporting characters are somewhat broadly drawn and not fully realized. I have to say that I did not recognize Wilmer Valderrama until the 2nd or 3rd time I saw him in the movie. But overall, not a bad way to spend an afternoon matinee viewing, especially since Hanks and Roberts still have good onscreen chemistry. I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
 

Robert Crawford

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I enjoyed this film a bit more than Patrick. So my score is a solid "B". I thought the writing could've been a little stronger to show why Julia Roberts would fall for a guy like Tom Hanks. Furthermore, I loved the supporting characters. Also, it didn't hurt that my fantasy girl Gugu Mbatha-Raw had a prominent role in this film. I hope to see more of her in coming films or television.
 

Patrick Sun

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If I ever go back to college, I want a Talia as my guardian angel. Gugu Mbatha-Raw was on that NBC show "Undercovers" last season. She's got a delightful screen presence.
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Patrick Sun

If I ever go back to college, I want a Talia as my guardian angel. Gugu Mbatha-Raw was on that NBC show "Undercovers" last season. She's got a delightful screen presence.


You and me both. I see she's in the pilot movie for the television "Touch" starring Kiefer Sutherland. It's going to be a midseason replacement series and I hope she's in the series.
 

Robert Crawford

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Wow, I thought more people would be talking about this film considering the stars.
 

Aaron Silverman

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I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that when people are spending upward of $10 on a movie ticket, they're more likely to spend it on a spectacle like Transformers 3 or Cars 2 and save this one for a rental. So, Crawdaddy, is it safe to say that you're gaga for Gugu? :D
 

Edwin-S

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I looked at a trailer for the film. It looks like it could be a decent flick, but it also looks like the kind of film that doesn't need to be seen in a theatre. A rental for home viewing looks sufficient for this film.
 

Greg_S_H

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The reviews have been pretty harsh. 36% on RT, and the local paper's review was negative. I don't, personally, like either star, so it wasn't for me in any event.
 

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