HALL PASS - MOVIE REVIEW

Still from Hall Pass

The Premise of the Warner Bros. Comedy is rather unconventional. Best Friends Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) have been married to their Wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) seemingly forever. Bored in their marriages, with their Wives fed-up with their wandering eyes, finally they are granted permission to have extra-marital relations for one week.

They learn soon that Freedom isn't so liberating after all.  Having been "off-the-market" for a while, they find they are actually slow to attract the Women they want.  Meanwhile, their Wives are having their share of fun, meeting their share of Suitors while away from their Husbands. What will come of these marriages by the end of their week-long Hall Passes, we wonder?

Hall Pass is well-intentioned in that it aims to offer an edgy new twist to the time-tested values of Monogamy, starting off on a bright note.  Where it falls flat though is its predictable, twists taking fewer risks than hoped for, and trying too hard perhaps to tug on heartstrings.  Also its obvious fishing for laughter through overt gaudiness somehow hinders it rather than helping it excel, stealing the focus from what should really matter - the story.

A much more filled-out Owen Wilson delivers ably here as a Good Guy/Average Joe and Oscar-nominated Richard Jenkins shockingly is funny as a Sleazebag. The likable Jenna Fischer's Maggie struggles a bit with a one-dimensionally written character which sees her sulking perpetually. Christina Applegate and Jason Sudeikis are written so far apart from one another that what results is a lack of spark needed to convince us that they are good together. British import Stephan Merchant provides some memorable laughs in a few latently Bisexual moments, but alas appears far too little a time.

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE GIVES BIRTH TO BABY GIRL

Still from Hall Pass

It's a Kelly "Bundy"le of Joy! Actress Christina Applegate known best for her work on Married... with Children and Samantha Who, is the proud new Mother of a Baby Girl. The Father if the Child is her Musician Fiancé Martyn LeNoble. Sadie Grace LeNoble was born last Thursday in Los Angeles and is reportedly healthy and well.

Applegate can be seen next in The Farrelly Brothers' Hall Pass, to be released February 25, 2011 through Warner Bros. She will also be doing Voice Work in Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked 3-D which will be filmed in Vancouver.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

GOING THE DISTANCE REVIEW

Going the Distance travels to a territory not often visited in Romantic Comedies: Long Distance Love in this age of Text Messaging and Webcams. Erin (Drew Barrymore) is an aspiring Journalist temporarily in New York City, where she meets an A&R Representative Garrett (Justin Long) on an off-chance at a Bar one night.

Garrett is just coming out of a relationship and soon before he knows it, he's falling for Erin as the sparks fly between them right away. There's only one catch though - Erin must head off to San Francisco for school shortly after completing her Internship. The two decide to try out a Long Distance Relationship regardless off the odds being stacked against them, and the story touches upon the realities and pitfalls of lovers being apart from one another, even with todays' Technologies.

Despite their off-screen romance, Long and Barrymore seem to lack that spark for much of the movie,  in order to have us root for them. Part way through the film, we begin to wonder why they even bother fighting for their relationship without a solid enough foundation. And although I do love Barrymore, she was miscast here, struggling to be convincingly evoke that level of vulnerability required of Erin.  Instead, she comes off perhaps too self-assured for a girl who really spends most of the film not knowing what she really wants in life - career or relationship?