The Rebound (Catherine Zeta-Jones): Movie Review
March 11, 2010 by Brad Wing-Quay
Filed under Movie Reviews, Movies
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Catherine Zeta-Jones on the big screen and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been crying yourself to sleep every night since 2007. Never fear, the ‘Babe from Wales’ is back and stars alongside Justin Bartha in Hollywood’s latest attempt at romantic comedy, The Rebound.
As a newly divorced 40-year-old mother of two, Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has just moved to the city with her kids to start a new life. Facing the trials and tribulations of managing a new career, two children and setting up a new home, Sandy hires the help of nice-guy Aram (Justin Bartha) to look after the children while she attempts to forge a career for herself.
Aram is a 25-year-old coffee shop employee that coasts through life, valuing those around him more than career aspirations. As luck would have it, Aram adores the children and is incredibly attracted to Sandy, which in turn leads to an interesting relationship between the pair, as they both come to terms with the ‘different age’ dating game.
The Rebound : Anti Climax
What’s the Buzz?
Despite mediocre results from Hollywood’s more recent ‘rom-com’ outings (Valentine’s Day – to name one), The Rebound actually holds its own, and for the most part, was an entertaining watch. It had its moments with jokes that weren’t quite funny but it seems the ‘rom-com’ genre still might have a few tricks up its sleeve.
For one, I was pleased to see a different take on the whole ‘feel sorry for the helpless divorcee’ storyline, with Sandy falling on her feet and ‘sticking it to the man’, which, in this case, is her ex-husband. It was nice not to have the husband play a main character in the film, so the audience didn’t have to put up with the typical ‘heartache’ often portrayed in break up films.
The Rebound didn’t bring the mood down with its heartache between the wife and husband, which was refreshing to find.
It was interesting to see touches of social commentary in the storyline, with a close connection to the current ‘cougar’ phenomenon sweeping the dating world. But rather than take the side of ‘younger man seduces older woman’, The Rebound tends to sympathise with Sandy’s position and give a clear insight into just how complex and tough it can be.
If there was one weak point in The Rebound, it would have to be the ending. I’m not going to go into details here, but let’s just say that it felt rushed to say the least. Very rushed.
It was as if the director forgot that he had a time limit and budget and all of a sudden had to end the film. It was like leaving a conversation mid-sentence and then picking it back up next time you see the person.
Aside from its ordinary climax, The Rebound remains a solid romantic comedy. Gentlemen take note: this is the film you should take your girlfriend to. You’ll get points for picking a girl-friendly film and the bonus is that you too will have a good time watching it.
Watch Out For
Catherine Zeta-Jones being extra hot talking about sports and the ‘Pablo’ conversation she has with her son.
WATCH OUT FOR | RATING : 3.5 / 5
