Failure to Launch is a puzzling romantic comedy -- is it sweet fluff, or is it an offbeat take on the genre?
The answer is that it is both, and that's the beauty of the movie.
Failure to Launch is directed by Tom Dey, who has only a handful of mediocre credits under his belt, such as Shanghai Noon. The movie's true appeal lies in the cast, led by Sarah Jessica Parker (The Family Stone) and Matthew McConaughey (Two for the Money).
McConaughey plays Tripp, a 35-year-old guy content to live at home with his parents, occasionally work and pal around with his boys. He's thrilled with the arrangement, but his parents are desperately looking for a way to push him out of the nest.
Enter Parker as Paula, a professional -- well, someone whose profession involves anxious parents that pay her to date guys under false pretenses and persuade them to move out. The idea is ludicrous, somewhat stupid and threatens to sink the whole movie. It would have been more believable to make Paula a doctor or a therapist or something.
Though Paula assures parents that she doesn't sleep with her "clients," the whole idea is far-fetched, not to mention cruel and calculating.
Somehow, the idea still manages to work, and it is all thanks to Parker. She proved in Sex and the City that she can play sweet and vulnerable for comic effect, but in Failure to Launch, she shows savvy intelligence and confidence without coming across as manipulative.
It doesn't hurt that Parker has never looked better. Between the clothes, the perfect hair and that gorgeous smile, she looks as good as she possibly could.
However, McConaughey is the true winner of the gene pool lottery, and it's easy to focus on his deep tan, curly hair and blinding smile. But the boy's got some acting chops, too. The only issue he has is overacting at certain points in the film. Well, more like the entire first half.
McConaughey walks that fine line between fleshing out a character and overdoing it to the point of ridiculousness. He's always been a ham onscreen, but in this movie, he constantly throws in those extra unscripted bits and noises that are distracting at times. However, the guy proves himself in a pivotal moment.
Whenever a plot involves one partner deceiving the other, there's the inevitable big reveal, with the tearful "how could you?" and so on. I was dreading it beyond words, but McConaughey completely nailed it, and the scene played out beautifully. Instead of ending the film, it set up a great second half.
Helping out was a pitch-perfect supporting cast, namely Tripp's guy friends and Paula's roommate. They're all unknown actors who mercifully didn't play the typical gossipy gal-pal or chauvinistic friend roles.
There are some quirky bits in the plot, as a lot of conventions were tossed out the window in the name of originality. The effect was refreshing.
Failure to Launch does make many mistakes. Certain circumstances, such as how Paula got into her line of work, leave the audience confused and waiting for an answer. The movie takes a little too long to clear up some misconceptions, but at least the script doesn't shove mindless exposition down your throat.
Instead, it leaves you hanging for it, only to toss out the answers near the end. For that reason, some people may hate this movie, but at least it's in the name of trying something different.
Grade: B+
