It completely misses its mark and audience. This is supposed to be a chick flick; therefore it should have characters that are empowering to women. Instead this is filled with the weakest women this side of a sheiks harem. It is insulting to women and completely demeans them.
Spoiler alert
I was most surprised by Jennifer Garner's character. For 7 seasons she played the strong kick ass Sydney Bristow, I would have thought she could spot a weak character. Also Jennifer's character is hardly a starring role, but more of a prop ready to serve the wants of Matthew McConaughey's character.
We are lead to believe that Jennifer and Matthew were childhood sweethearts (that never kissed) who lost touch at 14 then reconnected at 24 when he not only breaks her heart but actually destroys her.
He courts her, she falls for him, then after sex he bails and never speaks to her again. Years later he is the best man and she is the maid of honor at his brothers wedding. When she gets her first glimpse of him (after years of silence), she is all glassy eyed and love struck. The rest of the movie she pines for him. There is no big moment where she unleashes on him. There is no big moment where she realizes he is the one for her. She apparently has been waiting in the wings for him to realize she is the one.
The character played by Lacey Chabert is a bridezilla who is unable to control herself and her emotions. Thankfully the three men in her life are there to knock sense back in her.
The three bridesmaids are dimwits pining to sleep with Matthew and when that fails they scrape the bottom of the barrel groomsmen because they just need a man.
The only strong female character is the mother of the bride played by Anne Archer. She goes toe to toe with Mathew and puts him in his place.
But what is his place? Why is it assumed that a guy who lives life as a player lives an empty life? Matthew was blissfully enjoying his life until the ghosts started pointing out his flaws. And we all have flaws. Not like this guy was date raping girls.
You could claim he mistreated women but he never hid that and the women in the movie like it, so he's got their approval. He breaks up with 3 girls on a conference call in front of a fourth girl and after such a despicable act, the fourth girl still wants to sleep with him.
In another scene he orders a bridesmaid to his room to prepare for sex, she happily obliges. Why does that make him flawed?
Before the ghosts show up he is living a pretty happy life. He gets paid well, loves his job and he loves women. Later we learn that he lived to a ripe old age, so his antics never killed him.
Speaking of his funeral, the scene is laughable. Only one person shows? Please! He was great at his job, a top fashion photographer, and was a hero to all the Players. His funeral would be filled with people.
They try to portray him as a mean ass, because he supposedly gets drunk and shares his real feelings about marriage. The scene is out of his character. Prior to this he says with affection that he wouldn't miss his little brothers wedding, now he's saying mean things about the wedding to everyone? Remember this guy is a high paid professional photographer, he is not a stumbling drunk who just left his blue collar job on the loading docks.
Then they try to make it seem like he ruined the wedding by telling one bridesmaid that another bridesmaid once slept with the groom. After the three bridesmaids discuss it, we're dropped into a scene with a hysterical bride who just found out. Matthew was nowhere near that scene and couldn't have told her, therefore one of the bridesmaids must have told her. So it was the bridesmaids that ruined the wedding NOT Matthew.
Finally there is the photograph that he has apparently been caring in his wallet his whole life (yet it isn't folded). Earlier the plot point of the photo is forced down our throat, in a way that negates the final reveal. With the ghost of the past, he sees himself as a child take the photo, he (as an adult) knows it's in his pocket, so he'd be embarrassed about it and wouldn't call attention to the child saying "forever." Yet he does. Why? Oh yeah, to force the point down our throats.
Oh and when he's taking pictures at the wedding. The Nikon flash never pops up. Such a believable photographer!
Spoiler alert
I was most surprised by Jennifer Garner's character. For 7 seasons she played the strong kick ass Sydney Bristow, I would have thought she could spot a weak character. Also Jennifer's character is hardly a starring role, but more of a prop ready to serve the wants of Matthew McConaughey's character.
We are lead to believe that Jennifer and Matthew were childhood sweethearts (that never kissed) who lost touch at 14 then reconnected at 24 when he not only breaks her heart but actually destroys her.
He courts her, she falls for him, then after sex he bails and never speaks to her again. Years later he is the best man and she is the maid of honor at his brothers wedding. When she gets her first glimpse of him (after years of silence), she is all glassy eyed and love struck. The rest of the movie she pines for him. There is no big moment where she unleashes on him. There is no big moment where she realizes he is the one for her. She apparently has been waiting in the wings for him to realize she is the one.
The character played by Lacey Chabert is a bridezilla who is unable to control herself and her emotions. Thankfully the three men in her life are there to knock sense back in her.
The three bridesmaids are dimwits pining to sleep with Matthew and when that fails they scrape the bottom of the barrel groomsmen because they just need a man.
The only strong female character is the mother of the bride played by Anne Archer. She goes toe to toe with Mathew and puts him in his place.
But what is his place? Why is it assumed that a guy who lives life as a player lives an empty life? Matthew was blissfully enjoying his life until the ghosts started pointing out his flaws. And we all have flaws. Not like this guy was date raping girls.
You could claim he mistreated women but he never hid that and the women in the movie like it, so he's got their approval. He breaks up with 3 girls on a conference call in front of a fourth girl and after such a despicable act, the fourth girl still wants to sleep with him.
In another scene he orders a bridesmaid to his room to prepare for sex, she happily obliges. Why does that make him flawed?
Before the ghosts show up he is living a pretty happy life. He gets paid well, loves his job and he loves women. Later we learn that he lived to a ripe old age, so his antics never killed him.
Speaking of his funeral, the scene is laughable. Only one person shows? Please! He was great at his job, a top fashion photographer, and was a hero to all the Players. His funeral would be filled with people.
They try to portray him as a mean ass, because he supposedly gets drunk and shares his real feelings about marriage. The scene is out of his character. Prior to this he says with affection that he wouldn't miss his little brothers wedding, now he's saying mean things about the wedding to everyone? Remember this guy is a high paid professional photographer, he is not a stumbling drunk who just left his blue collar job on the loading docks.
Then they try to make it seem like he ruined the wedding by telling one bridesmaid that another bridesmaid once slept with the groom. After the three bridesmaids discuss it, we're dropped into a scene with a hysterical bride who just found out. Matthew was nowhere near that scene and couldn't have told her, therefore one of the bridesmaids must have told her. So it was the bridesmaids that ruined the wedding NOT Matthew.
Finally there is the photograph that he has apparently been caring in his wallet his whole life (yet it isn't folded). Earlier the plot point of the photo is forced down our throat, in a way that negates the final reveal. With the ghost of the past, he sees himself as a child take the photo, he (as an adult) knows it's in his pocket, so he'd be embarrassed about it and wouldn't call attention to the child saying "forever." Yet he does. Why? Oh yeah, to force the point down our throats.
Oh and when he's taking pictures at the wedding. The Nikon flash never pops up. Such a believable photographer!