Home Again (2017)

Romantic Comedy Home Again, follows Reese Witherspoon and her family as she embraces newly separated life in LA. She meets 3 young men who begin living in her guest house.

Romcom but kinda just Rom, it's not very funny. There are moments when you can tell there's meant to be a joke and it just doesn't quite meet you. Never offensive but should just be a romance film with some smiles.

I think it was lazily written. As expected it was predictable, and that's okay, that's the point of films like this. Very much a string of coincidences and 'do you believe in destiny' type things going on. It was a very optimistic idea of 20 something year old men, believable? Absolutely. But just as before, a little too easy. I think Witherspoon's Alice had some lines that were spot on, but almost too perfect, as if they were the things you thought of after an argument in the shower not what you said on the spot. But hey maybe that's just how you speak when you're 40, maybe that's intentional.

The cast were good, I mean Reese Witherspoon has expanded in her career but in this instance is back just being, 'woman'. The character doesn't have all that much depth, possibly because we're told about 'her' life directly in the opening sequence and then that's it. You're kinda of left to rely on stereotypes a little bit. Not many characters have much development because there's quite a few of them. They struggle to give the lads strong individuality, and though there's a lot of talk of the soon to be ex-husband, Austen, there's no addition information from Michael Sheen being there in person.

There was a fair bit of unnecessary 'story', Alice having a new job was something and nothing. It tried to pushed the single mum doing it for herself aspect but you just don't relate because there's no risk. It's very first world problem to the point of boring. As is most elements of the film.

It's shot alright it sounds alright but with this type of film there's not where it needs to excel. The priority needs to be with connecting with the audience. We don't have the cliche best friend for us to bounce off of. They highlight the youth of the love interest by basically putting him down to nothing but being cute and not having aged pessimism yet. Which sure is the case for a lot of twenty somethings but it shouldn't be the case for a developed character.

I'd probably leave it on tv until the adverts then change the channel. Fans of romantic movies might give this more of a pass but it was underwhelming as best 4/10 and that's including the attractive men.

CINEMATES - A