Another movie that was dumped into theaters and either quickly forgotten or ignored. In fact, I doubt many readers have even heard of this film (the release never went wide). It’s about a, you guessed it, ten year high school reunion and a whole slew of under appreciated young actors star as people who haven’t quite let high school go in one way or another. There’s the former bully (Chris Pratt) who wants to make amends with all those he picked on…even while he can’t help falling into his old ways. The great Ari Graynor plays his embarrassed wife. Justin Long and Max Minghella are old friends competing for the hot party girl (Lynn Collins) who got away. Oscar Isaac (a dead ringer for New Girl’s Jake Johannsen) has become a famous musician that hasn’t let go of his high school crush (Kate Mara). And Channing Tatum is the official lead, playing a guy who’s almost engaged to Jenna Tatum (his real life wife) but runs into his old high school girlfriend (the always-welcome Rosario Dawson).
What Works: This movie is a low-key, comfortable affair. You won’t have a revolutionary time, and it’s definitely more of a rental than something to hunt down in theaters (there will come a time when all movies like this premiere On Demand and Redbox) but there’s not much to hate about it either. In a big ensemble film like this, everyone wants to know who shines the brightest and whose storyline is the best/weakest…Well, in terms of performance, nobody does subtle looks of doubt better than Channing Tatum and Ari Graynor believably inhabits a wife who doesn’t know how much longer she can keep apologizing for her drunken, buffoonish husband. But the best storyline might be the Before Sunset-esque flirtation that develops between the rock-star and his crush. It’s all about missed chances and ignored hints, and Isaac’s character is believable as an outwardly successful but internally yearning man desperate not to let his last chance get away…
What Doesn’t:…Unfortunately, the movie keeps telling us that its center is the (non)-flirtation between Dawson and Tatum. They just never really get all that close and the movie doesn’t properly create the tension it desires. It’s a “Will They or Won’t They?” situation that never fully develops. It’s not that Tatum and Dawson don’t have chemistry (there’s an alternate universe where these two are the stars of a romantic comedy) but the script leaves them without a payoff. Not to mention that it never gives either of them much to do (not just disappointing plot-wise but why give your two leads the least meaty roles?). And many of the story lines end abruptly and without proper resolution. It’s a tribute to the movie that we care what happens to the characters, and a little unfair of the movie to not tell us (in some cases).
What I Would Have Done Differently: Moved the Isaac/Mara flirtation to the center…OR beefed up the Dawson/Tatum story line. I know, I know, there are plenty of movies where high school sweethearts get back together, and it’s “bold” of this movie to go in a different direction, but I’m starting to feel like “bold” is another way of saying “unsatisfying.” We’re told repeatedly that these two were made-for-each-other soul mates, and it’s a little disappointing that that’s never given a chance to play out in the present-tense.
May see it just to see Tatum.
I’ve become a fan of Channing Tatum over the past year, so now that I know about 10 Years I’ll admit that I want to hunt this movie down in theaters. I’m glad I stopped here first since this is a recommended rental, and I’d rather save myself from paying for an overpriced theater ticket by adding it to my Blockbuster @Home queue. The reason I started watching Tatum’s movies is because of the girls I work with at DISH who are always telling me about what a talented actor he is. I’ve pretty much rented all of his movies, which is quite a bit, and since I can rent an unlimited number of discs, I haven’t had to pay out of my nose to see if he lives up to my friends’ praises. Thanks for the heads up on this one!