Take two comedy heavyweights, mix in some old and new eye candy and drop in a guy who may be a Sith Lord some day and you’ve got This Is Where I Leave You — out in theaters this weekend.
Who’s In It?
This Is Where I Leave You stars Jason Bateman, who’s a complete savage and absolutely hilariously when he wants to be, Tina Fey who’s sexy and funny (a deadly combo) and Jane “I’d love to fondle ‘em” Fonda who still has it for a woman her age.
Other notable appearances include an underrated Adam Driver of Girls, the sexy Australian minx Rose Byrne who’s entertaining as hell in this movie and Kathryn Hahn. Kathryn Hahn might just be the funniest actress working today that few people have ever heard of. Go and do a web search and you’ll recognize her immediately.
What’s It About?
This Is Where I Leave You is essentially about a preposterously fucked up family that’s forced to spend an entire week together because of a final wish from their father/husband. After dad kicks the bucket (that’s not a spoiler, it says he dies in every movie description) four siblings have to go back to the house they grew up in and tolerate each other for a week. Naturally, a couple spouses, ex-flings and randoms pop in and out because it’s that kind of movie.
Should I See It?
The best way to explain This Is Where I Leave You is to separate moviegoers it into three categories.
The first and most common category are the people looking for a comedy to escape normal life for a couple hours and laugh their asses off. If you fall into this category then don’t even consider spending the $12 you just made on online Mah-Jong to go see it.
The second category includes anyone walking into the theater expecting to see a good movie. Now if you really watched the trailer for This Is Where I Leave You saw a whole segment about Jane Fonda’s fake tits falling out of her top, followed by an awkward conversation between her and her son Jason Bateman, resulting in a punchline where he uses the phrase “bionic breasts”, and you STILL thought it was going to be a good movie then you should do the following things; 1) Re-evaluate every choice you have ever made and 2) Place your fist on a chair, stick your thumb vertically into the air as high as it will reach and then sit firmly upon that thumb.
Finally, if you’re like me and are going into This Is Where I Leave You knowing that it would probably suck but at least you would laugh here and there and go home with the mental image of a nice, firm rack then you’ve come to the right place. And so what if basically everything that happened was unrealistic and totally insulted my intelligence. Just say to yourself, “Hey at least there were some laughs and a healthy set of jugs.”
Final Rating
The trailer claims comedy even though it is 100% a drama with some comedic moments mixed in. It’s a “feel good” movie that will occasionally try to make the audience laugh. There were a few laughs — including a kid who spent the entire film carrying around a portable toilet and taking dumps — but more than a few unnecessary characters and pointless moments.
If you’re expecting a fall on the floor comedy, this movie is isn’t it. If you’re looking for an average movie with a little substance, that’s what you’re going to get. If you are like me and just took This Is Where I Leave You at face value then the movie’s official rating is a freshly poured: 2.5 out of 5 Red Solo Cups
If You Liked ‘This is Where I Leave You’ Then Check Out…
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011): Not that obscure and most of you have probably seen it but if you liked the movie then this is a no-doubter.
The Kids are All Right (2010): Another recent movie but it went under the radar for no good reason. Not a comedy but still a great flick with an original story line.
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