Rating:
Review by Gaurav Gadre
Tom hanks dons several hats for this one as he writes, directs and acts for Larry Crowne. With a simple story the movie relies heavily for a strong screenplay to make its case. Although the movie did have its moments, it fails to make an impact in the end.
Larry is a 9 time employee of the month, but even he is not spared by a downsizing in his company. In this tumultuous times when he has the loan of his house to pay off, Larry realizes that it was his lack of college education that caused his downfall. This makes Larry go in for a college education. He instantly makes a connection with most of the students due to his amicable nature. He meets Talia who gives him a lifestyle make over. Larry falls head over heels for his teacher Mercedes but cant date her because of several complications. In the end its all about how Larry turns his life around.The movie has decent treatment in some portions but the rest of it really hazy. The love angle between Larry and Mercedes is totally out of sync. Not once did I feel that there was any chemistry between the two. Infact there is more chemistry between Larry and Talia. The movie yo yos between a redemption story and a rom com. I felt as though there were too many spices in this dish.
Tom Hanks the actor and director excel but Tom Hanks the writer fails. The script and screenplay turns out to be very flaky. Julia Roberts' character is confusing. It is irritating after a certain point in time. The best character by far was that of Talia, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. It almost felt as if you wanted to see her whenever she was on screen and off it.
Overall, Larry Crowne is probably not the choice to shell out money for a seat in the theater. Maybe a fit for DVD rental.
Reasons to watch:
1) Tom Hanks fan club
2) Gugu's acting
Reasons to skip:
1) Flaky screenplay
2) Fails to create the magic
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