this film was receiving considerable attention before its release. jason reitman's previous two films, thank you for smoking, and juno (nominated for best picture) were both very well received. george clooney is always more than a solid lead these days (forget about the ancient 'batman & robin').
this film was very well done. it was well-acted, well shot, well directed, and had a solid story. every part of this film screams for an oscar, but i do not think it will win. what this movie lacks is uniqueness. i find in a few years i will think back to this film as a very good one, but not one that leaves a lasting impression of any sort, on me. for example, i recently watched 'paris, texas' which was just re-released on the criterion collection, and i find my thoughts continually drawn back to the film, even weeks later.
the story is a little cliche and on the predictable side, but the strong performances all around help mask it to a certain extent. danny mcbride is freaking hilarious in the limited amount of screen time he gets. he really steals the show. as with all of reitman's films, humour is its strong suit. there are many very funny parts in this film. reitman is a master of blending emotion and humour together.
this is a very solid film, one of the year's best. however, i find it does not invoke enough spark or originality to make it the best of the year.
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