I think critics have been conditioned to think that any movie with Jennifer Aniston in it these days has to suck. I happily declare that this one doesn't. It has a likable romance. The dialogue is actually funny (especially anything that comes out of Jeff Goldblum's mouth). Based on the premise - which comes off much less implausible than it probably should - I was expecting a lot more lowbrow comedy and was pleasantly surprised. And Jason Bateman is a wonderful and underrated leading man. The voice-overs are perhaps a bit insipid and probably could have been skipped entirely, but that's a minor complaint. I enjoyed the film. 7 out of 10.
174 Reviews
Quite Enjoyable
bob-rutzel-129 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Unmarried Cassie (Aniston) wants to have a baby and has a Sperm Party with donor Roland (Wilson) in tow. The deed gets done, but the specified cup gets switched by Wally (Bateman), who gets so drunk he doesn't remember doing it. Neurotic Wally has a thing for Cassie, but does nothing about it. Seven years later when he meets Cassie's son, Sebastian (Robinson), Wally sees many of his mannerisms in the kid. This should be interesting. Funny too.
First of all, there is nothing uncomfortable in here. But, it is Sebastian who will get to you. The banter between Cassie and Wally is good, but when Sebastian comes on the scene, you know you have to see this through. Believe me, the kid will get to you. The lines (and not entirely easy ones) that Thomas Robinson has to say as Sebastian are unbelievable in that they are flawless and to the point. Amazing for a 6-yr old going on 30.
There is comedy but it comes between Wally and Sebastian and it's quite enjoyable. You find yourself wishing there were more scenes with Wally and Sebastian. These scenes are the hooks and why you stay. There is some adult humor too, but it's old hat and kind of expected.
Nice to see Jason Bateman getting a lead and this should be a stepping stone to other leads. The chemistry between Bateman and Aniston was good for the characters they portrayed. Aniston is still Rachel (character from the Friends TV show) and seems most comfortable with that role so there is nothing new with her in here. Hey, we like Rachel. What's not to like? She had a chance to branch out when she did DERAILED, a good drama with with Clive Owen, but that was just a one-time thing apparently. Too bad, as she was good in that one. Jeff Goldblum performed well, as always, but still has that Gary Shandling look on his face like he is going to burst out laughing hysterically at any moment. All the cast performed to expectations and that was very good.
This does play out like a made-for-TV movie, but the chemistry between Bateman and Robinson makes it all worthwhile. This was their show.
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
First of all, there is nothing uncomfortable in here. But, it is Sebastian who will get to you. The banter between Cassie and Wally is good, but when Sebastian comes on the scene, you know you have to see this through. Believe me, the kid will get to you. The lines (and not entirely easy ones) that Thomas Robinson has to say as Sebastian are unbelievable in that they are flawless and to the point. Amazing for a 6-yr old going on 30.
There is comedy but it comes between Wally and Sebastian and it's quite enjoyable. You find yourself wishing there were more scenes with Wally and Sebastian. These scenes are the hooks and why you stay. There is some adult humor too, but it's old hat and kind of expected.
Nice to see Jason Bateman getting a lead and this should be a stepping stone to other leads. The chemistry between Bateman and Aniston was good for the characters they portrayed. Aniston is still Rachel (character from the Friends TV show) and seems most comfortable with that role so there is nothing new with her in here. Hey, we like Rachel. What's not to like? She had a chance to branch out when she did DERAILED, a good drama with with Clive Owen, but that was just a one-time thing apparently. Too bad, as she was good in that one. Jeff Goldblum performed well, as always, but still has that Gary Shandling look on his face like he is going to burst out laughing hysterically at any moment. All the cast performed to expectations and that was very good.
This does play out like a made-for-TV movie, but the chemistry between Bateman and Robinson makes it all worthwhile. This was their show.
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
Enjoyable and definitely not as bad as it may appear...
montera_iulian19 October 2010
So I saw The Switch over this weekend and I must say I expected this to be a complete failure and it surprised me to not be that. Matter of fact, the movie stands out pretty well through Aniston's filmography. The story is not complicated, runs smooth and gets your attention. The story revolves around Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) a middle-age single guy who has a hard-time finding his match and Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston), his best-friend. At Kassie's semen-party, Wally gets drunk and switches the donator's sperm with his own without realizing and forgetting completely about what happened to next day. After seven years of being separated by distance Kassie movies back to her town and of course, she starts to talk again to her "best-friend". Problems appear only when Wally sees that Kassie's kid is acting pretty much similar like him so he remembers what he did and decides to tell Kassie the truth. Of course, this story has it's clichés and I'm the most bored person on the earth by clichés but this movie is a little bit different. It's not that funny, it has it's funny moments which were handled well but the movie it-self is more of a romance than a comedy so I enjoyed it more than others who expected a million laughs from it.
As far as the acting, this is definitely Aniston's best movie this year and I liked her attitude in this even though she portrays almost the same character but it's such an improvement from The Bounty Hunter. Jason Bateman was very good, hilarious at points as usual and actually approached a more serious tone for this role. The rest was good and I really was not bothered by anything at all. The characters were lovely and I was surprised for them to not look over-acted and exaggerated.
The cinematography, editing were pretty much normal, nothing to be mentioned and the score was as usual, typical for a romantic movie. With all these I want to say that this movie is not BAD and I don't understand people who love to bash this movie just for it's clichés and stuff like that. This movie is a simple good time for a boring afternoon. It's far from being great but it's such a better choice than most of the wack stuff that studios put out.
As far as the acting, this is definitely Aniston's best movie this year and I liked her attitude in this even though she portrays almost the same character but it's such an improvement from The Bounty Hunter. Jason Bateman was very good, hilarious at points as usual and actually approached a more serious tone for this role. The rest was good and I really was not bothered by anything at all. The characters were lovely and I was surprised for them to not look over-acted and exaggerated.
The cinematography, editing were pretty much normal, nothing to be mentioned and the score was as usual, typical for a romantic movie. With all these I want to say that this movie is not BAD and I don't understand people who love to bash this movie just for it's clichés and stuff like that. This movie is a simple good time for a boring afternoon. It's far from being great but it's such a better choice than most of the wack stuff that studios put out.
A romantic comedy with just enough of each to survive the overly clever hook
secondtake28 June 2013
The Switch (2010)
Okay, it would be easy to dis this movie as a canned, obvious, emotionally thin contrivance. It's a vehicle for two popular stars playing characters in their 30s who are, despite good looks and basic social skills, single and childless. They have to fall in love but life gets in the way in kind of stupid ways. You can't take it seriously, and you can't even quite care enough to hope for the best, whatever that is.
But it's also easy to like this movie despite its obviousness. Jason Bateman is a joy to watch. Maybe his performance is like the movie--glib and facile. But like the movie he is endlessly watchable, and his character is the one with the most depth. His interactions with the boy of six or so are terrific. The boy, too, is adorable and helps the movie get some feeling.
Jennifer Aniston plays the woman who wants a child but has no one willing to be the dad, more or less (though the viewer knows better). And she's a terrific actress, actually, even if her role here (and elsewhere) is often not as demanding as it could be. I suppose Meg Ryan has some kind of edge on her for this kind of stereotype--the lovable lonely urban girl who just can't get love right despite the obvious--but Aniston is an update on that type.
But it is Aniston and Bateman together that really make the movie glide along and make you smile. They have great rapport and good timing, comedic and serious both. I wouldn't say they have chemistry (I guess that's the problem their characters have, so maybe it's great acting) but they make their scenes pop in a way the rest of the movie trundles.
The story writer, Jeffrey Eugenides, is better known for sprawling novels and lots of interrelated characters, but even there there are little hooks that come off a hair obvious. That's the problem here, in the end. There's a big trick, a wonderful and funny hook of an idea, and that almost alone has to handle all the consequences. Some better character development would have been a joy.
Oh, and it's been a long time since a movie with two directors has been able to pull off consistency. I don't know the logistics behind it, but maybe one of the hesitations all along is a lack of singular conviction. Or not. Maybe this is such a formula product any number of directors could have chipped in.
Watch it for the two leads together. And for some fun, warm laughs, if that's your thing. I enjoyed it.
Okay, it would be easy to dis this movie as a canned, obvious, emotionally thin contrivance. It's a vehicle for two popular stars playing characters in their 30s who are, despite good looks and basic social skills, single and childless. They have to fall in love but life gets in the way in kind of stupid ways. You can't take it seriously, and you can't even quite care enough to hope for the best, whatever that is.
But it's also easy to like this movie despite its obviousness. Jason Bateman is a joy to watch. Maybe his performance is like the movie--glib and facile. But like the movie he is endlessly watchable, and his character is the one with the most depth. His interactions with the boy of six or so are terrific. The boy, too, is adorable and helps the movie get some feeling.
Jennifer Aniston plays the woman who wants a child but has no one willing to be the dad, more or less (though the viewer knows better). And she's a terrific actress, actually, even if her role here (and elsewhere) is often not as demanding as it could be. I suppose Meg Ryan has some kind of edge on her for this kind of stereotype--the lovable lonely urban girl who just can't get love right despite the obvious--but Aniston is an update on that type.
But it is Aniston and Bateman together that really make the movie glide along and make you smile. They have great rapport and good timing, comedic and serious both. I wouldn't say they have chemistry (I guess that's the problem their characters have, so maybe it's great acting) but they make their scenes pop in a way the rest of the movie trundles.
The story writer, Jeffrey Eugenides, is better known for sprawling novels and lots of interrelated characters, but even there there are little hooks that come off a hair obvious. That's the problem here, in the end. There's a big trick, a wonderful and funny hook of an idea, and that almost alone has to handle all the consequences. Some better character development would have been a joy.
Oh, and it's been a long time since a movie with two directors has been able to pull off consistency. I don't know the logistics behind it, but maybe one of the hesitations all along is a lack of singular conviction. Or not. Maybe this is such a formula product any number of directors could have chipped in.
Watch it for the two leads together. And for some fun, warm laughs, if that's your thing. I enjoyed it.
Romantic comedy without romance or comedy
Gordon-1119 November 2010
This film is about a woman who gets pregnant by artificial insemination with seeds from a donor. An unexpected switch causes an avalanche of events that changes her life.
The first ten minutes appear to be a bombardment of words, with constant conversation at full speed. Then the story moves slowly, and the first sign of any romance happens well after 70 minutes into the film. There is little portrayal of Kassie's dilemma between two guys and her entangled emotions, which makes the film a lot less engaging. Even though the film follows the typical romantic comedy formula, the formula is so rushed that everything occurs in the last 20 minutes of the film.
The script does not work at all. It is poorly paced, unfunny and just drags on. It creates nothing to make the viewers look forward to. It does not instill any loving feelings into the atmosphere. It does not even feel sweet or romantic. There is no comedy at all, it does not make me even smile once. I normally enjoy romantic comedies, but I find "The Switch" unbelievably boring.
The first ten minutes appear to be a bombardment of words, with constant conversation at full speed. Then the story moves slowly, and the first sign of any romance happens well after 70 minutes into the film. There is little portrayal of Kassie's dilemma between two guys and her entangled emotions, which makes the film a lot less engaging. Even though the film follows the typical romantic comedy formula, the formula is so rushed that everything occurs in the last 20 minutes of the film.
The script does not work at all. It is poorly paced, unfunny and just drags on. It creates nothing to make the viewers look forward to. It does not instill any loving feelings into the atmosphere. It does not even feel sweet or romantic. There is no comedy at all, it does not make me even smile once. I normally enjoy romantic comedies, but I find "The Switch" unbelievably boring.
Cute and touching
charne9921 March 2011
I have seen many the Romantic Comedy that I would say are OK, a time filler but I wouldn't count this movie as one of them.
First of all there is a friendship, second there is competition for Kassie, the main character's affections and lastly and most importantly there is a very sweet relationship between Bateman's character and the little boy, Sebastian. This movie has all the right ingredients to be a sweet movie. It also has our beloved Jennifer Aniston starring in the lead role and a very cute kid. Honestly, I watch most of Aniston's movies and this was one of my favorites.
I realize that its not going to be nominated for an Academy but its certainly worth cozying up with your significant other and a glass of wine and enjoying the show.
First of all there is a friendship, second there is competition for Kassie, the main character's affections and lastly and most importantly there is a very sweet relationship between Bateman's character and the little boy, Sebastian. This movie has all the right ingredients to be a sweet movie. It also has our beloved Jennifer Aniston starring in the lead role and a very cute kid. Honestly, I watch most of Aniston's movies and this was one of my favorites.
I realize that its not going to be nominated for an Academy but its certainly worth cozying up with your significant other and a glass of wine and enjoying the show.
So awkward. It's funny
dalewilbanks-649083 March 2022
Not your typical rom-com, but if you like Jason Bateman or Jennifer Aniston, then this is an enjoyable movie. Near the end of the film it gets so awkward. It's laugh out loud. Funny. Definitely worth the price of admission.
Fantastic actors/actresses casted poorly
jackgdemoss14 April 2019
What a strong cast for such an average film. Having the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Jeff Goldblum is a headstart on almost any romcom, but I felt that none of them were the right casting choice for their respective role. Aniston was the only one who felt like she belonged, but like any romcom, a love interest is required and Bateman fell flat. Both Aniston and Bateman performed great, but the lack of chemistry was palpable. The funniest thing about this film was how poorly Goldblum fit into his role. He essentially plays the low-screen time advice friend to consult Bateman's character, yet he maintains Goldblum's "larger than life" persona. I am not typically crazy about romcoms and this one lands right at the median for them in my opinion.
pleasantly surprised
almamoyamoon15 April 2011
well, I rented this film only because it was the only one that I hadn't see from redbox. I usually do not like Jennifer Aniston in anything but the TV show Friends, and quite honestly she wasn't great but she certainly did not 'sneeze on the buffet'. It was Jason Bateman that really carried this film. He's a very under-rated actor. The film is about friend of the opposite sex, with one, the male of course, having more feelings than the other. When he finds out that she wants to have a baby and is looking for the perfect man for his sperm, he's hurt cause she didn't pick him. The film really explores parenthood in the modern age and also dynamics of friends, and even fatherhood. It's a comedy, but it has many dramatic and poignant elements to it. I'd recommend it.
Decent Film....
namashi_131 January 2011
When one gets ready to watch a film like 'The Switch', the viewer should go in with limited expectations. If the person goes in with gargantuan expectations, he/she are sure to be left disappointed.
Based on the short story Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides, Josh Gordon and Will Speck's 'The Switch' is a decent film, about 2 best-friends, who later become a couple. In a running time over a 100-minutes, this comedy offers some tendering moments and likable performances from it's lead cast.
An interesting premise is mostly well-handled, and even the hackneyed climax doesn't really leave you complaining. Josh Gordon and Will Speck's direction is just right. Jess Hall's Cinematography is decent, while the Editing is just about okay.
Performance-Wise: Jason Bateman is extremely likable in the lead role. Jennifer Aniston is natural. Thomas Robinson is wonderful. Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis leave a mark, as well.
On the whole, 'The Switch' is an ideal lazy Sunday afternoon watch.
Based on the short story Baster by Jeffrey Eugenides, Josh Gordon and Will Speck's 'The Switch' is a decent film, about 2 best-friends, who later become a couple. In a running time over a 100-minutes, this comedy offers some tendering moments and likable performances from it's lead cast.
An interesting premise is mostly well-handled, and even the hackneyed climax doesn't really leave you complaining. Josh Gordon and Will Speck's direction is just right. Jess Hall's Cinematography is decent, while the Editing is just about okay.
Performance-Wise: Jason Bateman is extremely likable in the lead role. Jennifer Aniston is natural. Thomas Robinson is wonderful. Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis leave a mark, as well.
On the whole, 'The Switch' is an ideal lazy Sunday afternoon watch.
The Switch (2010)
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain13 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A truly cold and horrible film. This is billed as a romantic comedy, and certainly plays up to the cutesy charm. Then why is it that this film has so many sinister things going on? I would have loved for this to have been a serious drama. Bateman plays the best friend that is clearly in love with Aniston. Not THAT clearly, but we assume (correctly) so because this film isn't going to surprise us. She decides to have a baby with sperm donor Patrick Wilson (once again wasted). Bateman, drunkenly, spills the sperm and replaces it with his own. This isn't really the kind of plot I look for in my comedies, unless they are gross out or dark. This film revolves around this being some kind of charming act. 7 years later he realizes what he has done, but just telling Aniston would be too clever for this film. Instead he bottles it up and lets it all out at the most inappropriate time. There is nothing to like about this character. He sneakily sends guys away from Aniston, gets drunk to suppress his feelings, unknowingly fathers her child, lies, and ruins lives. He is a foul waste of space, but this film shows him to be the charming hero. Wilson, meanwhile, is recovering from a divorce and is looking forward to getting involved in his (supposed) child's life. He is cruelly sidelined. He is much more likable than the leads. Though I respect the decision to not make him out to be a typical villain, they could have least explored him. Here we have a guy trying to overcome a difficult time, and takes responsibility even though he needn't. Who the hell wrote this? Had Bateman raped Aniston, or swapped her baby, we'd be in horror territory. This really has me questioning humanity, but I suppose the fact it inspires forgiveness is something.
Tired Insemination Premise Gives Rise to a Surprisingly Sharp Comedy with a Smart Cast
EUyeshima21 March 2011
If the Hollywood studios still made the type of urban comedies they made back in the early 1970's starring George Segal (usually) as a neurotic nebbish, then Jason Bateman's big-screen career would certainly be secure. As he displayed consistently on "Arrested Development", the actor's dry delivery and slyly observant manner are a perfect match for Wally Mars, the comically cynical equities analyst he plays in this sadly overlooked 2010 romantic comedy co-directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon (who much to my surprise, helmed the Will Ferrell figure-skating comedy, "Blades of Glory"). Although he is the true protagonist of the story, the movie was marketed as a Jennifer Aniston vehicle. She plays rising TV producer Kassie Larson, his long-ago girlfriend who has relegated him to the "friend zone" even though he obviously hasn't gotten over her.
Written with verve by Allen Loeb (who also co-wrote Aniston's recent 2011 movie, the Adam Sandler starrer, "Just Go With It"), the story revolves around Kassie's ticking biological clock. In a seven-years-back flashback, she is seen deliberately bypassing Wally as a possible sperm donor in favor of a more predictable candidate, Roland, a struggling associate professor at Columbia, who happens to be married and drop-dead handsome. At an "insemination" party, Wally gets wasted and drops the carelessly placed vial of Roland's semen down the bathroom sink. This leaves Wally no choice but to replace the sample himself. Kassie eventually becomes pregnant and moves back home to Minnesota. Flash forward to the present, and Kassie returns to Manhattan with her six-year-old son Sebastian in tow. The fact that Sebastian acts like a miniature version of Wally gets completely past Kassie but not Wally who slowly realizes that out of his stupor years ago, his son was conceived.
Although this indiscretion would seem like the perfect excuse for Wally to reveal his true feelings for Kassie, complications ensue when she starts a relationship with Roland, now desperately on the rebound from a bitter divorce. At the same time, Wally forms a close bond with Sebastian who naturally gravitates toward him because of their mutual idiosyncrasies. Bateman handles Wally's evolution from self-absorbed fatalist to paternal protector with aplomb and surprising depth. Aniston is better served here than in most of her standard-issue romantic comedies, and the sharp interplay between these two actors, especially in the beginning scenes, is refreshingly rapid-fire like a modern-day "His Girl Friday". With his constantly forlorn expression interrupted by moments of genuine happiness, Thomas Robinson is terrifically understated as Sebastian, and his unforced scenes with Bateman represent the true high points of the film.
A crack supporting cast has been assembled. As Wally's best friend and manager, the sarcastic ladies' man Leonard, Jeff Goldblum takes a predictable role and gives it his special, off-kilter twist. The result is his funniest turn in years, for example, his use of the term "ill-advised" during the moment of revelation is hilariously unexpected. The same can also be said for Juliette Lewis, who plays Kassie's constantly inappropriate best friend Debbie with her spacey delivery intact as she slings clever putdowns at Wally. Even Patrick Wilson, saddled with the no-win role of the golden boy Roland, who has no capacity for honest introspection, is funny in a role that gets diabolically transparent as the proceedings get complicated. The 2011 DVD/Blu-Ray offers a standard set of extras - a fifteen-minute making-of featurette ("The Switch Conceived"); about ten deleted and alternate scenes running for nearly half an hour in total, one a more purposeful variation on the central scene; and a brief blooper reel. Give it a try.
Written with verve by Allen Loeb (who also co-wrote Aniston's recent 2011 movie, the Adam Sandler starrer, "Just Go With It"), the story revolves around Kassie's ticking biological clock. In a seven-years-back flashback, she is seen deliberately bypassing Wally as a possible sperm donor in favor of a more predictable candidate, Roland, a struggling associate professor at Columbia, who happens to be married and drop-dead handsome. At an "insemination" party, Wally gets wasted and drops the carelessly placed vial of Roland's semen down the bathroom sink. This leaves Wally no choice but to replace the sample himself. Kassie eventually becomes pregnant and moves back home to Minnesota. Flash forward to the present, and Kassie returns to Manhattan with her six-year-old son Sebastian in tow. The fact that Sebastian acts like a miniature version of Wally gets completely past Kassie but not Wally who slowly realizes that out of his stupor years ago, his son was conceived.
Although this indiscretion would seem like the perfect excuse for Wally to reveal his true feelings for Kassie, complications ensue when she starts a relationship with Roland, now desperately on the rebound from a bitter divorce. At the same time, Wally forms a close bond with Sebastian who naturally gravitates toward him because of their mutual idiosyncrasies. Bateman handles Wally's evolution from self-absorbed fatalist to paternal protector with aplomb and surprising depth. Aniston is better served here than in most of her standard-issue romantic comedies, and the sharp interplay between these two actors, especially in the beginning scenes, is refreshingly rapid-fire like a modern-day "His Girl Friday". With his constantly forlorn expression interrupted by moments of genuine happiness, Thomas Robinson is terrifically understated as Sebastian, and his unforced scenes with Bateman represent the true high points of the film.
A crack supporting cast has been assembled. As Wally's best friend and manager, the sarcastic ladies' man Leonard, Jeff Goldblum takes a predictable role and gives it his special, off-kilter twist. The result is his funniest turn in years, for example, his use of the term "ill-advised" during the moment of revelation is hilariously unexpected. The same can also be said for Juliette Lewis, who plays Kassie's constantly inappropriate best friend Debbie with her spacey delivery intact as she slings clever putdowns at Wally. Even Patrick Wilson, saddled with the no-win role of the golden boy Roland, who has no capacity for honest introspection, is funny in a role that gets diabolically transparent as the proceedings get complicated. The 2011 DVD/Blu-Ray offers a standard set of extras - a fifteen-minute making-of featurette ("The Switch Conceived"); about ten deleted and alternate scenes running for nearly half an hour in total, one a more purposeful variation on the central scene; and a brief blooper reel. Give it a try.
Comedy with heart.
Mallylol11 April 2014
When I first saw the movie poster and trailer of this movie back in 2010, I thought..."Oh great, another Anniston movie... Going to be some heart warming flick with dumb jokes..." Then a few nights ago I was browsing around and saw this again, decided to watch it because Bateman is good actor. Needless to say, this movie was much better than expected!
I have always failed to see comedy in movies that show dumb things, aka Adam Sandler movies, etc. So seeing this film and the humor it included was great, though if you are expecting to laugh your ass off in this film, you won't, but its got light humor to make you smile meanwhile you start to enjoy the characters. Bateman was great, the kid was great, the story was not really focused on Anniston but she played her role well. Also this movie was not a hardcore chick flick, where everything was over the top romantic, rather you get to feel those emotions through the characters instead of them overstating everything. It displayed what men and women go through at that age of their lives (mid 30s to late 30s), and I feel they did a great job with it.
If you are looking for a film that will make you smile while touching your heart, I would definitely recommend this film.
I have always failed to see comedy in movies that show dumb things, aka Adam Sandler movies, etc. So seeing this film and the humor it included was great, though if you are expecting to laugh your ass off in this film, you won't, but its got light humor to make you smile meanwhile you start to enjoy the characters. Bateman was great, the kid was great, the story was not really focused on Anniston but she played her role well. Also this movie was not a hardcore chick flick, where everything was over the top romantic, rather you get to feel those emotions through the characters instead of them overstating everything. It displayed what men and women go through at that age of their lives (mid 30s to late 30s), and I feel they did a great job with it.
If you are looking for a film that will make you smile while touching your heart, I would definitely recommend this film.
"The Switch" gives "chick flicks" a bad name
chuck-reilly1 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Considering the travesty that this film is, it's safe to say that Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Juliette Lewis and Jeff Goldblum have all been served better in nearly every endeavor they've participated in during their lengthy careers. Directed by the non-dynamic and inept duo of Josh Gordon and Will Speck, "The Switch" veers from bad comedy to bad drama at every turn, making most viewers nauseous during the proceedings. Poor Jason Bateman, who certainly has shown great comedic skills in the past, gets the dubious assignment of playing a complete schmuck with absolutely no backbone; why Jennifer Aniston falls for him in the first place is beyond most human reasoning. The absurd plot involves Bateman getting drunk at a sperm donor party for Aniston (she and Jason are "just friends") and then accidentally "switching" his specimen with the intended party (a made-to-look-foolish Patrick Wilson). Then Jennifer conveniently moves out of town until she has the child (an obnoxious son similar to his obnoxious dad) and returns a few years later. When Jason finally sees the kid, he immediately recognizes his offspring---but fails to admit the truth to Jennifer and thereby drags the movie on and on. In the middle of this nonsense, Jennifer's (sort of) best friend, Juliette Lewis, gets to thrown in a few off-color jokes and Jeff Goldblum (Jason's understanding colleague) acts like he wandered onto the wrong set. His glazed look is all one needs to know regarding his contempt for the material. The end result is that this bomb of a film made no money and everyone involved should be totally embarrassed. How this movie and its "premise" ever passed muster with studio executives will never be explained. Suffice to say that someone probably lost his/her job when the dismal receipts came in.
Terrific male cast
JohnDeSando19 August 2010
The Switch's first thirty minutes remind me of screwball comedies with repartee sharp, fast, and witty: unmarried Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) announces to her best friend, Wally (Jason Bateman), that she is going to arrange for a donor to have a baby. I know—we've been there this year with Back-up Plan and The Kids are All Right, yet there's plenty of room for all kinds of donations.
Bateman is at his under-acting, low key, gentle best responding to Aniston's usually cute bemusement because, as you might have guessed, he loves her but has not the daring to tell her. Then, at the donor party, he gets excited in the bathroom at a picture of Diane Sawyer and switches his sperm for the donor's.
You've seen similar romantic comedy setups where the principals know each other too well or dislike each other so much that they will be enlightened and bond by the end of the film. You know how it all will turn out, so after that smart opening, the film devolves into clichéd expectation fulfillment.
However, scenes between Wally and six-year old Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), his son by the switch but a secret to mother and son for much of the film, are well-acted given the appropriate level of dialogue, their mutual respect, and the film's unwillingness to exploit Robinson's cuteness to elicit favorable reviews. But after all, like his dad, Sebastian's a pessimist with eccentric and sometimes macabre tastes, not always exploitable characteristics. In any case, these two actors are as good as one could expect to show a loving relationship between two eccentrics who don't know for some time they are related.
Saving the film from my impending "C" grade are Jeff Goldblum as Leonard, Wally's best male friend; the cute Thomas Robinson as Sebastian, Kassie's son; and manic Juliette Lewis as Debbie, Kassie's best girl friend. With weak competition like Bow Wow in Lottery Ticket, Aniston manages to be in a film just a bit above my average. Too bad because that opening is worth seeing just for itself.
Bateman is at his under-acting, low key, gentle best responding to Aniston's usually cute bemusement because, as you might have guessed, he loves her but has not the daring to tell her. Then, at the donor party, he gets excited in the bathroom at a picture of Diane Sawyer and switches his sperm for the donor's.
You've seen similar romantic comedy setups where the principals know each other too well or dislike each other so much that they will be enlightened and bond by the end of the film. You know how it all will turn out, so after that smart opening, the film devolves into clichéd expectation fulfillment.
However, scenes between Wally and six-year old Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), his son by the switch but a secret to mother and son for much of the film, are well-acted given the appropriate level of dialogue, their mutual respect, and the film's unwillingness to exploit Robinson's cuteness to elicit favorable reviews. But after all, like his dad, Sebastian's a pessimist with eccentric and sometimes macabre tastes, not always exploitable characteristics. In any case, these two actors are as good as one could expect to show a loving relationship between two eccentrics who don't know for some time they are related.
Saving the film from my impending "C" grade are Jeff Goldblum as Leonard, Wally's best male friend; the cute Thomas Robinson as Sebastian, Kassie's son; and manic Juliette Lewis as Debbie, Kassie's best girl friend. With weak competition like Bow Wow in Lottery Ticket, Aniston manages to be in a film just a bit above my average. Too bad because that opening is worth seeing just for itself.
The Switch
katelynv1159728 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
When first seeing this on my Netflix feed, I never thought id like it as much as i did. It is a typical comedy chick flick, but very enjoyable. While you watch, you can guess what is going to happen, but it you're still on the edge of your seat. It never fails to make you laugh, and the insemination party defiantly can brighten anyone's night. The casting was perfect for every part. Jennifer is a perfect fit for Kassie, the hardworking girl that is ready to be a mother, Jason Bateman does a great job at being Wally, dorky and quirky, and finally, Thomas Robinson is adorable and makes the movie tug on you're heart strings. I would defiantly recommend this movie to anyone who needs something to do on a Saturday night.
Better than The Back Up Plan
lisafordeay6 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The Switch is a 2010 romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston,Jason Bateman,Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis. A 40 something year old woman named Kasey(Aniston) is desperate to become a mom. However when she gets a sperm donor,her best friend Wally(Bateman) accidently gets rid of it and decides to be the dad. When Kasey's son Sebastain is born,Wally has to wonder will he tell Kasey that his Sebastain's dad instead of Ronald(Patrick Wilson) and admit that he loves Kasey?
Overall I enjoyed this film as it kinda reminded me of Life As We Know It. If you are a fan of any of the actors then check it out.
Overall I enjoyed this film as it kinda reminded me of Life As We Know It. If you are a fan of any of the actors then check it out.
A fun, believable romance with a twist.
rawiri4230 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The Switch is a nice wholesome movie about a somewhat quirky young woman named Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) who decides that, as an independent career woman, she wants to become a mother - in other words, as the English would say, she gets clucky - except that she doesn't see any need for her child to have a father in its life. OK so far, nothing particularly new about that.
However, Kassie also decides that she doesn't see any need for any sort of formal arrangement and so she not only hires a suitably vetted married man as a sperm donor but throws a lavish party to celebrate the event of getting pregnant. The donor goes to the bathroom and takes himself in hand to produce the necessary "donation" and leaves it on the vanity for Kassie to administer. Enter Kassie's long-time "best friend," Wally (Justin Bateman) who is somewhat the worse for wear due to the generosity of his hostess and needs to use the facilities. Unfortunately, whilst doing so, he accidentally (well, not entirely) manages to spill the "donation" down the basin and, in his panic, just before passing out, summons up enough stamina to replace the donation with one of his own - and then forget all about it!
Shortly after the party, Kassie decides that New York is too hectic for her and goes back to her childhood home in Minnesota. goodbye Kassie (although she does send Christmas cards and the occasional email to Wally - after all, they were best friends)
Flash forward, >>> After 7 years away, Kassie decides to return to New York with her six-year-old son, Sebastian (brilliantly played by Thomas Robinson - watch out for a lot more from him in the future) and also decides that the original donor who she still thinks it is only right that as Sebastian's father he should, at least, be given the opportunity to meet his son. So she looks up Roland (the donor played by Patrick Wilson) only to find that he is no longer married.
Meanwhile though, Sebastian (who takes after his mother in quirkiness) and "Uncle" Wally hit it off immediately and become close friends.
The rest is somewhat predictable in that Roland thinks that Sebastian is his blood son and, now that he is free, he can quite naturally see lots of advantages in himself and Kassie and their son becoming a family and works towards that end. However, Wally has some sort of memory recovery where the events of the "Pregnancy part" evening come back to him and, as he realises that he and his son have a unique bond, plans to come clean to Kassie - except that he is terrified and keeps procrastinating until, in the end, he chooses a far from ideal moment to do it.
If you want to know what happens then, you'll have to watch the movie. It will leave you feeling good and glad you spent the time.
However, Kassie also decides that she doesn't see any need for any sort of formal arrangement and so she not only hires a suitably vetted married man as a sperm donor but throws a lavish party to celebrate the event of getting pregnant. The donor goes to the bathroom and takes himself in hand to produce the necessary "donation" and leaves it on the vanity for Kassie to administer. Enter Kassie's long-time "best friend," Wally (Justin Bateman) who is somewhat the worse for wear due to the generosity of his hostess and needs to use the facilities. Unfortunately, whilst doing so, he accidentally (well, not entirely) manages to spill the "donation" down the basin and, in his panic, just before passing out, summons up enough stamina to replace the donation with one of his own - and then forget all about it!
Shortly after the party, Kassie decides that New York is too hectic for her and goes back to her childhood home in Minnesota. goodbye Kassie (although she does send Christmas cards and the occasional email to Wally - after all, they were best friends)
Flash forward, >>> After 7 years away, Kassie decides to return to New York with her six-year-old son, Sebastian (brilliantly played by Thomas Robinson - watch out for a lot more from him in the future) and also decides that the original donor who she still thinks it is only right that as Sebastian's father he should, at least, be given the opportunity to meet his son. So she looks up Roland (the donor played by Patrick Wilson) only to find that he is no longer married.
Meanwhile though, Sebastian (who takes after his mother in quirkiness) and "Uncle" Wally hit it off immediately and become close friends.
The rest is somewhat predictable in that Roland thinks that Sebastian is his blood son and, now that he is free, he can quite naturally see lots of advantages in himself and Kassie and their son becoming a family and works towards that end. However, Wally has some sort of memory recovery where the events of the "Pregnancy part" evening come back to him and, as he realises that he and his son have a unique bond, plans to come clean to Kassie - except that he is terrified and keeps procrastinating until, in the end, he chooses a far from ideal moment to do it.
If you want to know what happens then, you'll have to watch the movie. It will leave you feeling good and glad you spent the time.
A more than decent romantic comedy.
Hellmant21 August 2010
'THE SWITCH': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
The second artificial insemination film I've seen in as many weeks (after 'THE KIDS ARE Alright'). This one has a great premise that turns into a predictable routine comedy but the performances are great and the directing is pretty impressive which results in a very funny and moving film. It's directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck (who also co-directed 'BLADES OF GLORY' and the Oscar nominated short film 'CULTURE') and written by All Loeb (who also wrote the drama suspense films '21' and the upcoming 'WALLSTREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS'). It's based on a short story by Jeffrey Eugenides (who also wrote the novel 'THE VIRGIN SUICIDES').
The film stars Jason Bateman as a neurotic insecure pessimist (or realist as he likes to call it) named Wally who is in love with his best friend Kassie (played by Jennifer Aniston) but is too afraid to tell her. Kassie is approaching 40 and really wants a child and realizes that with age her fertility rate declines. So unwilling to wait for her dream man to come along she decides to take the path of artificial insemination. Wally thinks this is a bad idea and tells her so but still cant confess his feelings for her so at her pregnancy party he gets hammered and 'hijacks' her sperm donation; he switches the sperm donor's (played by Patrick Wilson) sperm with his own. Since he's blacked out he forgets all about it but seven years later when Kassie and her son (played by Thomas Robinson) move back into town, after Kassie moves away before her son is born, Wally starts to notice striking resemblances between the boy and himself. This of course leads to a lot of drama.
After the great premise the movie pretty much writes itself and you can see everything coming but it's still fun to watch, very humorous and touching. I'm a big Jason Bateman fan and enjoy watching almost anything he's in. He's by far the star of the movie, he has almost twice the screen time that Aniston does (even though he's second billed to the bigger star). He has some great relate-able and touching character development and he and supporting player Jeff Goldblum are hilarious. Aniston is good at what little she has to do but her character is underdeveloped. The story focuses much more on Wally. The boy (Robinson) is impressive for a child actor but a lot of that is often due to good directing as well. A good director can get honest emotion and reactions from a child actor that's not too insecure to be themselves. Wilson is good as the antagonist and it's refreshing to see his character not dumb-ed down and actually portrayed as a likable guy. The screenplay does become somewhat clichéd but it's decent and the directing and acting are impressive. It's a romantic comedy that's definitely worth passing your time with.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YDpWRaEnYQ
The second artificial insemination film I've seen in as many weeks (after 'THE KIDS ARE Alright'). This one has a great premise that turns into a predictable routine comedy but the performances are great and the directing is pretty impressive which results in a very funny and moving film. It's directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck (who also co-directed 'BLADES OF GLORY' and the Oscar nominated short film 'CULTURE') and written by All Loeb (who also wrote the drama suspense films '21' and the upcoming 'WALLSTREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS'). It's based on a short story by Jeffrey Eugenides (who also wrote the novel 'THE VIRGIN SUICIDES').
The film stars Jason Bateman as a neurotic insecure pessimist (or realist as he likes to call it) named Wally who is in love with his best friend Kassie (played by Jennifer Aniston) but is too afraid to tell her. Kassie is approaching 40 and really wants a child and realizes that with age her fertility rate declines. So unwilling to wait for her dream man to come along she decides to take the path of artificial insemination. Wally thinks this is a bad idea and tells her so but still cant confess his feelings for her so at her pregnancy party he gets hammered and 'hijacks' her sperm donation; he switches the sperm donor's (played by Patrick Wilson) sperm with his own. Since he's blacked out he forgets all about it but seven years later when Kassie and her son (played by Thomas Robinson) move back into town, after Kassie moves away before her son is born, Wally starts to notice striking resemblances between the boy and himself. This of course leads to a lot of drama.
After the great premise the movie pretty much writes itself and you can see everything coming but it's still fun to watch, very humorous and touching. I'm a big Jason Bateman fan and enjoy watching almost anything he's in. He's by far the star of the movie, he has almost twice the screen time that Aniston does (even though he's second billed to the bigger star). He has some great relate-able and touching character development and he and supporting player Jeff Goldblum are hilarious. Aniston is good at what little she has to do but her character is underdeveloped. The story focuses much more on Wally. The boy (Robinson) is impressive for a child actor but a lot of that is often due to good directing as well. A good director can get honest emotion and reactions from a child actor that's not too insecure to be themselves. Wilson is good as the antagonist and it's refreshing to see his character not dumb-ed down and actually portrayed as a likable guy. The screenplay does become somewhat clichéd but it's decent and the directing and acting are impressive. It's a romantic comedy that's definitely worth passing your time with.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YDpWRaEnYQ
Abysmal
es_h_8419 October 2010
Absolutely horrendeous movie start to finish. I didn't have high expectations for this movie to start with, and thank god for that. Without giving away anything about the movie, it's generic to the max from start to finish.
For a so-called romantic movie it even wants to be, it lacks any form or spark from a viewer's perspective. Flat storyline, and beyond predictable.
If you want to save about an hour or hour and a half of your life, avoid this movie.
Abysmal sums it up.
For a so-called romantic movie it even wants to be, it lacks any form or spark from a viewer's perspective. Flat storyline, and beyond predictable.
If you want to save about an hour or hour and a half of your life, avoid this movie.
Abysmal sums it up.
Proof that a terrible plot doesn't automatically make a terrible movie
MBunge23 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a sweet romantic comedy, but it's not about the romantic love between a man and a woman. It's about the paternal love of a father for his son and when it focuses on that, it's rather pleasant and fairly funny. When it weakly tries to drag itself through standard rom-com clichés, it's an indifferent and uninspired effort.
Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) is one of those dark but funny New York neurotics with all the social graces of a hedgehog. His longtime friend Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) announces at lunch one day that she wants to have a baby and is sick and tired of waiting for find the right guy, so she's going to use artificial insemination. Wally thinks it's a bad idea, largely because he's still harboring faint hopes of he and Kassie eventually ending up together, but she won't be dissuaded. She finds a willing sperm donor (Patrick Wilson) and even throws a party on the night she's to be knocked up. Wally shows up at the party, gets drunk off his ass, accidentally destroys the donated sperm and substitutes his own seed.
Wally, however, was too drunk to remember what he did and Kassie moves back home to Minnesota to raise her son, Sebastian (Thomas Robinson). 7 years later, Kassie and Sebastian move back to New York and back into Wally's life. Sebastian is like a tiny and even more intense version of Wally and the unknowing father and son develop an instant affinity for each other. Kassie also starts to reconsider keeping Wally in the "friend zone", but she also reconnects with the intended sperm donor and starts dating him.
You won't be surprised that the donor is the polar opposite of Wally or that Wally eventually remembers what he did but never finds the right time to tell Kassie until it's the worst possible moment or well, you won't be surprised by anything in The Switch.
When this film is about the relationship between Wally and Sebastian and, to lesser extents, the relationships between Wally and Kassie and Wally and his boss (Jeff Goldblum), it's quite charming and amusing. There aren't a lot of great jokes but the interactions of the characters are wonderfully awkward and human. Unfortunately, the story these characters are in is kind of pathetic. It never makes any sense why Kassie and Wally aren't together in the first place, it doesn't make any sense why they don't get together as the story goes along and then when they finally do get together, that doesn't make any sense either. The hurried ending to The Switch is essentially Kassie saying "I'm so mad at you, Wally! Oh, wait. I'm not."
What saves the Switch is that these filmmakers seem to understand and accept how lame their plot is and spend surprisingly little effort at disguising it. Or maybe they were oblivious to how nonsensical much of it is. Whatever the reason, they just breeze right through every scene where the characters behave like idiots, saying and doing things normal people would never say or do, and jump right over any gaps in logic or plausibility. And because they don't labor on such things, the viewer doesn't have to pay them much heed either.
For example, the movie never really gives much justification to Kassie and Wally being "just friends" even though they clearly share a connection. But that actually works because making more of an effort would have only emphasized how contrived and artificial their platonic status is. And at every other rom-com cliché that makes you roll your eyes, this movie takes it all as given and moves on, sparing the indulgent viewer a lot of aggravation.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Thomas Robinson all do very good jobs. They create people you enjoy spending time watching. It would have been nice to watch them doing more intelligent things, but you can't have everything in life. The Switch is better than average fare for rom-com fans, but it's nothing anyone needs to rush out and see.
Wally Mars (Jason Bateman) is one of those dark but funny New York neurotics with all the social graces of a hedgehog. His longtime friend Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) announces at lunch one day that she wants to have a baby and is sick and tired of waiting for find the right guy, so she's going to use artificial insemination. Wally thinks it's a bad idea, largely because he's still harboring faint hopes of he and Kassie eventually ending up together, but she won't be dissuaded. She finds a willing sperm donor (Patrick Wilson) and even throws a party on the night she's to be knocked up. Wally shows up at the party, gets drunk off his ass, accidentally destroys the donated sperm and substitutes his own seed.
Wally, however, was too drunk to remember what he did and Kassie moves back home to Minnesota to raise her son, Sebastian (Thomas Robinson). 7 years later, Kassie and Sebastian move back to New York and back into Wally's life. Sebastian is like a tiny and even more intense version of Wally and the unknowing father and son develop an instant affinity for each other. Kassie also starts to reconsider keeping Wally in the "friend zone", but she also reconnects with the intended sperm donor and starts dating him.
You won't be surprised that the donor is the polar opposite of Wally or that Wally eventually remembers what he did but never finds the right time to tell Kassie until it's the worst possible moment or well, you won't be surprised by anything in The Switch.
When this film is about the relationship between Wally and Sebastian and, to lesser extents, the relationships between Wally and Kassie and Wally and his boss (Jeff Goldblum), it's quite charming and amusing. There aren't a lot of great jokes but the interactions of the characters are wonderfully awkward and human. Unfortunately, the story these characters are in is kind of pathetic. It never makes any sense why Kassie and Wally aren't together in the first place, it doesn't make any sense why they don't get together as the story goes along and then when they finally do get together, that doesn't make any sense either. The hurried ending to The Switch is essentially Kassie saying "I'm so mad at you, Wally! Oh, wait. I'm not."
What saves the Switch is that these filmmakers seem to understand and accept how lame their plot is and spend surprisingly little effort at disguising it. Or maybe they were oblivious to how nonsensical much of it is. Whatever the reason, they just breeze right through every scene where the characters behave like idiots, saying and doing things normal people would never say or do, and jump right over any gaps in logic or plausibility. And because they don't labor on such things, the viewer doesn't have to pay them much heed either.
For example, the movie never really gives much justification to Kassie and Wally being "just friends" even though they clearly share a connection. But that actually works because making more of an effort would have only emphasized how contrived and artificial their platonic status is. And at every other rom-com cliché that makes you roll your eyes, this movie takes it all as given and moves on, sparing the indulgent viewer a lot of aggravation.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Thomas Robinson all do very good jobs. They create people you enjoy spending time watching. It would have been nice to watch them doing more intelligent things, but you can't have everything in life. The Switch is better than average fare for rom-com fans, but it's nothing anyone needs to rush out and see.
By the numbers romantic comedy
bthoirs1 September 2010
15 min into this and I felt like poking hot needles in my eyes.Typical, by the numbers, romantic comedy but with no comedy and no sexual tension. Jennifer Aniston can do these roles in her sleep - she needs to take on a challenge and stop listening to the yes people she is obviously surrounded by and do something more edgy or imaginative.The plot, such as it is,is that Aniston tells her best friend she wants a child as she is almost 40. With no Brad Pitt in her life she decides on that old and tried method(turkey baster)and has an insemination party, as you do.Seven years later ,although they all look seven years younger apart from Jeff Goldblum who must have aged dramatically making this film, she returns to New York. With child in hand she searches out her old mucker to show him how alike they are. I went to a free screening in Clydebank (Scotland)with my daughter, so could not walk out. The people who have given this good reviews must have shares in the film or be on medication . Don't waste your time and money on this. On a positive note the child was not too bad. What was Jeff Goldblum thinking?
Way more enjoyable than I was expecting!
Rogerstella10 August 2010
I went to see the sneak preview of this movie last night, walking in with low expectations. I'm not a huge fan of Jennifer Anniston, and the concept sounded a bit low brow...so I went in pretty cynical. I was pleasantly surprised! It not only "didn't suck" but was actually pretty great. I thought the subject could have easily made this very cringe worthy and hard to believe - and yet it was handled in such a way that it didn't seem THAT far-fetched (as Hollywood movies go)and the characters remained believable and even sympathetic at times.
I LOVED Jason Bateman's character. He is negative, neurotic, funny and cute all at the same time. Aniston played her role very classy, and did not try to be cutesy or overly dramatic.
I rarely believe cute little kids in movies, yet the show stealer for me was Sebastian, the son. This kid is going to be a super star one day if he keeps it up! He is just the right amount of adorable/quirky while never overdoing it. His big brown eyes well up with tears in just the right way (choked me up a couple of times), and yet could deliver 'quirk' with complete deadpan expression. Brilliant! All in all, I laughed, teared up, and managed to enjoy every minute of the experience. Is it Citizen Kane? No. But it's darn good entertainment.
I LOVED Jason Bateman's character. He is negative, neurotic, funny and cute all at the same time. Aniston played her role very classy, and did not try to be cutesy or overly dramatic.
I rarely believe cute little kids in movies, yet the show stealer for me was Sebastian, the son. This kid is going to be a super star one day if he keeps it up! He is just the right amount of adorable/quirky while never overdoing it. His big brown eyes well up with tears in just the right way (choked me up a couple of times), and yet could deliver 'quirk' with complete deadpan expression. Brilliant! All in all, I laughed, teared up, and managed to enjoy every minute of the experience. Is it Citizen Kane? No. But it's darn good entertainment.
Surprisingly nice.
paul_haakonsen6 December 2010
Okay, this movie had 'Hollywood Sassiness' written all over it. But it turned out to actually not be all that sassy. Sure, it was a predictable story and you knew the outcome of the ending from the very beginning. But the story unfolded in a very nice way and proved to be warm and heartfelt.
The story told in "The Switch" is pretty easy to follow, and it has some funny moments to it. Though I had initially expected more laughs from the movie. But regardless, the story turned out to be very nice and it quickly grew on you, and you fell in love with the characters.
The characters in the movie were very well portrayed and each brought their own unique touch to the movie. I was especially impressed with the performance put on by Jason Bateman, the lead actor playing Wally Mars. He was really cut out for this role, and you really bought into his performance. And the performance put on by Thomas Robinson, playing Sebastian, also blew me away. There is just something innocent and very charismatic about that boy, and he really helped carry the movie. Now, what puzzles me was the performance by Jeff Goldblum, playing Leonard, wow! Was he drunk during the shoots? It was almost unbearable to look at. And Juliette Lewis, well she brought her own unique touch to the movie, as she always does to whatever she is performing in. And as for Jennifer Aniston, well there wasn't anything outstanding in performance here, at least not in my opinion, and she seemed to be there in the second lead role based on her looks alone? To me, the story would have been the same, had they switched her out with another actress, because it was Jason Bateman and Thomas Robinson who carried this movie.
As I said earlier, I had expected this to be a comedy, so don't get your hopes up on rolling on the floor laughing. Sure, there are some funny moments. This is more of a romantic movie, one that will sit well with the lady audience. Though I, as a guy, actually found the movie to be quite enjoyable and entertaining.
This is, for me at least, the type of movie that actually can be watched more than once, because it was so beautifully put together. This movie is well suited for a romantic evening in with your significant other, and might be quite suitable for a Valentine's Day movie choice.
The story told in "The Switch" is pretty easy to follow, and it has some funny moments to it. Though I had initially expected more laughs from the movie. But regardless, the story turned out to be very nice and it quickly grew on you, and you fell in love with the characters.
The characters in the movie were very well portrayed and each brought their own unique touch to the movie. I was especially impressed with the performance put on by Jason Bateman, the lead actor playing Wally Mars. He was really cut out for this role, and you really bought into his performance. And the performance put on by Thomas Robinson, playing Sebastian, also blew me away. There is just something innocent and very charismatic about that boy, and he really helped carry the movie. Now, what puzzles me was the performance by Jeff Goldblum, playing Leonard, wow! Was he drunk during the shoots? It was almost unbearable to look at. And Juliette Lewis, well she brought her own unique touch to the movie, as she always does to whatever she is performing in. And as for Jennifer Aniston, well there wasn't anything outstanding in performance here, at least not in my opinion, and she seemed to be there in the second lead role based on her looks alone? To me, the story would have been the same, had they switched her out with another actress, because it was Jason Bateman and Thomas Robinson who carried this movie.
As I said earlier, I had expected this to be a comedy, so don't get your hopes up on rolling on the floor laughing. Sure, there are some funny moments. This is more of a romantic movie, one that will sit well with the lady audience. Though I, as a guy, actually found the movie to be quite enjoyable and entertaining.
This is, for me at least, the type of movie that actually can be watched more than once, because it was so beautifully put together. This movie is well suited for a romantic evening in with your significant other, and might be quite suitable for a Valentine's Day movie choice.
This movie is just disturbing
tigerstar002112 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This movie has pretty much nothing going for it. The acting is terrible. Jennifer Aniston, as usual, brings no personality at all to the character. All the other characters were just as bland and forgettable. The plot is dull; it's just Jason Bateman's character, Wally Mars trying to figure out whether or not to tell Aniston's character, Kassie Larson, that he switched the sperm and Sebastian is actually his kid. This could be an interesting plot if it involved character development, but in the end, none of the characters have gone through any sort of major change.
Even if you disregard the acting and plot, this entire movie centers around one disturbing plot point: Switching the sperm is a form of rape! Even if no sexual intercourse is involved, any form of sexual violation is rape. Sure, the character was drunk at the time, but that's no excuse.
I, for one, find it disturbing and just plain sick that the most important plot point of a ROMANTIC COMEDY is rape.
Even if you disregard the acting and plot, this entire movie centers around one disturbing plot point: Switching the sperm is a form of rape! Even if no sexual intercourse is involved, any form of sexual violation is rape. Sure, the character was drunk at the time, but that's no excuse.
I, for one, find it disturbing and just plain sick that the most important plot point of a ROMANTIC COMEDY is rape.
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