Maybe I Do

I'm not sure why they made this a movie. It's clearly a play. The monologues are play worthy, the acting is play worthy, even the blocking is stage worthy. While the acting IS stellar, it's awkward as a movie. The main cast is fantastic, and the 4 parents definitely play opposite their usual. The couple in love have very little chemistry, and her lines border on slapstick. The thing is, I don't remember any of their names because it was SO strange to watch on screen. I would love to see this written as a play script and acted on stage with the same cast. It would read so much better if it was seen live.

It starts out with several minutes of credits - and I'm not talking about names on top of scenic landscapes in the background, literally just white text on a black screen. But, at least the original song "Always You" was playing, which I liked. It was very obvious that the story was originally a play and was not adapted much for a screenplay of a movie. There was a lot of dialogue...I mean A LOT. And sometimes it seemed like they were talking in circles or in a translated language because I didn't even understand what they were talking about. It also felt like it didn't have enough characters and lacked a variety of scenery and settings. With such a great cast list and well-known writer/director (for TV anyways), I had higher hopes but there was much room for improvement in terms of making it into a romcom movie.

I grew up with boy meets world and am lucky to call Michael jacobs an acquaintance so I had to support this film, but it was very odd. Like someone else said, it was almost like it was meant to be a play. The plot is basic enough. A couple try to decide if they're meant to be together forever and marry so they bring in their parents. Problem is the parents have been cheating on each other. With each other. It was hilarious at first, especially when everyone all arrived at dinner together, but it slowly unravels. Emma roberts character and her boyfriend basically just disappear from the film at one point. The movie just becomes everyone having inner dialogues, with each other. The movie goes in so many circles and Michael can't seem to decide what he wants to say ultimately. Sadly I can't recommend it. Such a waste of a talented cast too.

I had to put on subtitles for this. For a talky romantic comedy with no explosions. Christopher Nolan this is not.

Directors: pay attention to audio. At this point, we're nearly back to silent film with how badly y'all handle this stuff. Movie watchers all watched the explainer about why movie audio is so bad these days. Did movie directors? You should. I don't care if your actors want to sound more "naturalistic" with their mumbles and their whispers. They have a job to do and they are not doing it if I can't hear the words coming out of their mouths.

Apparently my review is too short until now.

Deep sigh.... you know that sinking feeling right at the beginning of a movie WHEN you immediately recognize the movie you are watching is a STINKER, a FLOP, well there you have it...

The bad: this movie shouldnt have been made. It was made anyway AND advertised SOLELY to attract an OLDER audience who recognizes these fabulous names of Richard Gere and Diane Keaton. Even William H. Macey was (and still is) a great actors, but this is a SENIORS movie with only some young B-actors thrown in to at least try and attract SOME youngsters to go watch it. I doubt any youngsters will go watch this FLOP. And deservedly so...

I feel sorry for anyone who decided to go watch this empty vessel, this hollow surrogate of a movie.

Recommended to be AVOIDED like the plague. You have been warned....