The Switch

The Switch

2010

Comedy (Drama, Romance)

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 101 minutes

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson, Juliette Lewis, Thomas Robinson
Directed By: Josh Gordon, Will Speck

Rating: 3 out of 10

Outline

Seven years after his best friend gets pregnant through a sperm donor, a guy realizes he may be the father.

Review

I am pretty sure Jennifer Aniston is trying to find a cure for insomnia with her movies. Her film choices have been curious and this is another forgettable movie for the most marketable of the Friends alumni. The Switch is the story of best friends Wally and Kassie. 7 years after Kassie used a sperm donor to become pregnant, Wally realizes he is the father of her son.

This is the style of movie I hate the most. It is the movie that hovers in between genres that never really settles into one or the other. The premise of a guy switching his sperm for another donor is undoubtedly a comedic theme. You would guess that but the film isn’t funny. The premise of a single mom raising a kid and struggling with relationships is undoubtedly dramatic. You would guess that but this film isn’t interesting story wise. Because the film doesn’t establish a genre it just awkwardly flip-flops between comedy and drama confusing the viewer as to what they are watching. The film introduces us to Wally and Kassie and instantly I was skeptical of this premise. Kassie is a beautiful woman with no weird traits so why does she have so much trouble finding a partner? Wally is this ball of neuroses that is hard to appreciate. He is a hypochondriac, a cynic, and he purrs when he eats. He is all these things and yet he is rarely funny. So the will they or wont they get together scenario is really tired and cliché to witness.

Wally is played by Jason Bateman and this is his bread and butter character. I am a little tired of it at this point as he is the same sarcastic character in every film. He is okay but is at his best when he isn’t trying that hard. A great scene where he casually throws up in a trash can teases the viewer with what could have been. Kassie played by Jennifer Aniston is her same old self and brings nothing new to the role. She is underwhelming as a single mom and she needs to be more discerning in what she chooses. The kid Sebastian played by Thomas Robinson is easily the worst part of the film. His depressed face and adult demeanor is just sad to witness. I am especially hard on kid actors and Robinson was not only weak, but he really bothered me with his performance. Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis are in this also if you are fans of theirs.

So the film is basically a lot of posturing until Kassie comes back to town with a 6 year old Sebastian. While there are some touching moments between Wally and Sebastian, the film never the less fails to keep the viewer interested. Wally struggling with his feelings and Sebastian’s constant frown is enough to make the viewer pray for this film to end. This film tries its hardest to be funny and thoughtful but it fails on both counts.

I was interested to see this film as directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck put together a surprisingly funny film in Blades of Glory. They couldn’t continue that success as this film struggles in many departments to be entertaining. The unoriginal leads, the obvious advice giving co-workers, and the casting of a truly obnoxious kid all leads to a poor watch. While the script itself is generic they also never help it along. This is truly a disappointing finished product.

 I cannot recommend this film as it struggles with its own identity.

T Factor + If you like romantic comedies than this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor + If you do not like child actors than this could score lower on the rating scale.

If you liked this film reel recommendations: Failure to Launch, Fool’s Gold