I did not like the film much at all. There are gaping holes/flaws throughout the film. Mostly w/ the script, I believe, but also w/ the direction & acting performances.
Let's talk about some of them: I did not for one second believe that JK Simmons was now going to 'follow his bliss' and become a chef just b/c George Clooney told him he should. Nor am I buying Clooney's 'Groom w/ Cold Feet' Pep Talk, & why when the Groom walks back to his Bride is it suddenly shot by a hand-held? I am guessing it is to represent the Groom's unease but as a viewer it is just annoying. Clooney's recommendation letter? Give me a break! Here is a chance for the 'author/scriptwriter' to tell us what he's learned about Natalie, how she's grown, & it is written through our 'Poet of the Airlines'/Motivational Speaker and that is what we get? And that letter is right after the film completely tossing aside the gift of miles to Clooney's sister for her honeymoon?
There is a remarkable string of scenes in the middle of the film that work, are moving, entertaining, funny, and contain the finest moments of the best acting performances in the film. That run starts w/ Natalie's text break-up, contains the beautiful 'settling' conversation between Alex & Natalie, and ends w/ them crashing the tech party, running through the Hotel lobby w/ no shoes on. Good stuff, indeed.
And then Natalie's hostility towards Clooney the next morning is painfully unbelievable, hamfisted and sets us right back down the wrong road again.
Vera Farmiga &Anna Kendrick are by far the best thing in this film. Their performances shine, Kendrick's in particular b/c she had to do a lot of 'shining' through what appears to be a half-hearted, unfinished script w/ the scriptwriter, himself, Jason Reitman, apparently asleep in the director's chair.
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