Just Friends

A big factor in whether or not you like this film rests on your feelings towards it's star Ryan Reynolds. I've always liked him, from the otherwise rather poor Van Wilder to the disappointing Blade 3 he has always stood out above the material he's presented with. Here he stars again in a romantic comedy squarely aimed at the teenage market, but that manages to rise above it and provide a decent time at the cinema and plenty of laughs. Reynolds plays Chris Brander, a record producer, who returns home to the girl he liked in school. The catch being that back in school he was slightly overweight, and we purely seen by her as a 'friend'. A lot of people can identify with this position, especially in relation to girls they like and this immediately gains you some familar ground with the characters. The film is a light entertaining affair with some good perfromances. As well as Reynolds Anna Faris is a hoot as the crazy pop star he is forced to bring with him, and Chris Marquette is good also as Reynold's annoying younger brother. This relationship in the film rang very true for me, with both characters annoying each other and constantly fighting, but ultimately caring for each other in a realistic way. If you can get past the obvious plot and contrived set pieces (an ice hockey match with some aggressive kids for example) as well as the 'love-rival' character (played very well by Chris Klein) ripped from about every other romantic comedy, there is a lot to like here. The film is genuinely funny, the script smart and fast paced and the characters better realised than a lot of similar films. Amy Smart is appealing as the shared love interest and with a nice Christmas atmopshere this is a breezy and amusing film that will only appeal to a certain crowd, but does it well enough to leave you with a smile on your face. A smart and funny romantic comedy with good performances and a good Christmas atmosphere and plenty of laughs, let down by the fact that it brings nothing new to the table and doesn't stand out from the already crowded genre.