Just Go With It

Just Go With It
Year: 2011
Director: Dennis Dugan
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nicole Kidman

In My Own Words
For how much I normally crticize Jennifer Aniston and her lack of versatility as a motion picture actress, I may actually be warming to her. In "Just Go With It", I enjoyed her more in this film than I have in anything else since "Friends". I am trying to figure out why. It wasn't an amazing performance by any means, but it was maybe because the role suited her comfortably and she was just real, likable and funny. It is no joke that Aniston loves her romantic-comedy roles and she has now been typecast at that type of actress. So when did this become a bad thing? Sure it can be tiresome after we see the same character over and over again in different films and we can make assumptions that the actor's talent range is not quite as broad as some others,  but when they do that role really well? I haven't heard anyone criticize Sylvester Stallone or Jean Claude Van Damme for mainly playing the action roles, so maybe I should give Jennifer Aniston a break for playing the same roles. She does them well and if she enjoys doing them, then who is to tell her it's wrong? Even though I am sure she gets paid a great deal for these movies, I am sure she wouldn't be doing the romantic comedies if she really didn't want to and if she wanted to do something else. So maybe we should "just go with it" ourselves and accept that this is who Jennifer Aniston is and what she wants to do.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The teaser poster for "Just Go With It" does what a perfect movie poster does, it shows exactly what the film is going to be about and you know what to expect. It's the age old love triangle flick where one person is just the helper between two peope who really do like each other with a Hawaiian backdrop. "Just Go With It" fulfils it's goal, it's entertaining and fun. Not a contender for any awards, but not the worst film of the year. "Just Go With It" is a remake of the 1969 movie "Cactus Flower" which starred Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and the newcomer, Goldie Hawn. In the 2011 version, Danny (Adam Sandler) has been burnt once and refuses to let himself be burnt again, so he tells every girl that he is already married . Therefore, he can sleep with them and then there is no commitment expected of him so no one get's hurt! His theory no longer becomes applicable when he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), who he wants to become serious with, but she doesn't want to date a married man. Danny's lie becomes bigger and bigger when he talks his assistant, Katherine ( Jennifer Aniston) into pretending to be his ex-wife and her also children become a grand part of his plan, especially when they all take off to Hawaii for a big "family" holiday.

"Just Go With It" fits into the same categories as many other Adam Sandler films, and also the same as many other Jennifer Aniston films. It is a stereotypical film for both of the lead actors. It is the romantic comedy which Aniston is greatly associated with and the screwball comedy which Sandler is largely known for. However, this does not detract from the film itself. There are some very funny moments and it really is a lot of fun. A lot of the comedic moments are very random, but they are in good taste and are of the universal sense of humour. As one might expect, it really is very predictable and there is no doubt in your mind how the film is going to end. The setting of Hawaii for the holiday adds to the fun of the film, as well as the visual attractiveness.

Adam Sandler is fine in this film and he does his job with ease. He does have some tender moments, such as when he is on the phone to Katherine, but overall he could had a bit more of a connection to Katherine's children, Maggie and Michael. However, him and Aniston are a great on screen duo. The dialogue between the two is very witty and funny, and you can completely believe that these two are close friends who have known each other for years. Aniston does well in the role fo Katherine, even though it is not too far removed from many of her past roles. She still does well and is very easy to like. Model Brooklyn Decker is okay in her role as Danny's young love interest, but she is not extremely convincing in her role and her performance is not at all ground-breaking. Keep an eye out for a hilarious cameo by her real life tennis player husband, Andy Roddick. Nicole Kidman is actually quite annoying in this film as Katherine's "frienemy" Devlin, but she is supposed to be irritating. It is quite a different role for Kidman as she normally drifts towards the more dramatic roles, so it is actually refreshing to see her relax a bit and do something a bit more fun. Special mention must go to Bailee Madison who plays Katherine's daughter Maggie. She is an absolute little charmer from her first scene onwards and she is hilarious. Madison is one actress to watch out for in the next few years.

"Just Go With It" is a great deal of fun. It is very light and easy going and stereotypical, but is nevertheless fun to watch and a good laugh.
7/10