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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"The Ex" Does Not Mark The Spot, June 7, 2007
It's never a good sign when filmmakers can't figure out what to call their films. This one was originally marketed under the name of "Fast Track" (the defunct title also shows up in the end credits -- whoops!), indicating that it's about the hijinks to be found in the corporate zeitgeist. Then the name was changed, ostensibly to draw focus to the alpha male struggle that makes up much of the plot.
Such card-swapping doesn't make much difference. This movie, by any other name, would smell just as stanky. Zach Braff, donning a personality as interesting as acetate, plays Tom Reilly, a recently fired chef who gets a job at his father-in-law's advertising agency. Also employed there? His wife's sorta-kinda-ex-boyfriend, Chip, who also happens to be a passive-aggressive wheelchair-bound jerk.
So, let's see ... the advertising milieu means lots of commercial gags, we have an upwardly-mobile careerwoman stuck playing homemaker in suburban Ohio ("Look at all the white people," Tom says when they first drive into town), Tom is working for his father-in-law (a wealth of material there, even if it is dusty), and look at that cast! Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Charles Grodin, Mia Farrow, Donal Logue, Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco. I love all those folks! On paper, this looks like it has the potential to be a great movie.
Maybe they should've written some more stuff on that paper, though. Like a coherent plot, or funny jokes, or creative character struggles, for example. Instead, we have pratfall after pratfall, lots of "cripple jokes," and a kid who can swallow an entire hamburger without chewing once.
Braff and Peet play it straight to an entire cadre of wack-jobs (Sofia attends New Age Baby Classes where moms ask their infants for permission to pick them up; Tom's co-workers toss around a pretend "teamwork" ball and aren't allowed to say "I'm sorry" unless in writing), but none of these weirdos is given much room to stretch. Of all the talent in the film, only Grodin's father-in-law Bob comes the closest to making an impression.
It's not his fault. The script needs multiple doctors. Chip sabotages Tom every chance he can get, but instead of calmly explaining his predicament to his family and friends, Tom pulls the classic screwball comedy move of fighting fire with fire, making himself look jealous, insenstive to Chip's handicap, and pretty much crazy. I'd even accept this turn of events if Tom's responses were a little zanier than, for example, stealing Chip's yogurt or (very very) poorly concealing a camera beneath a tented magazine.
These are really bad ideas, both for revenge and for a movie. The makers of this dud should've done more than just tinker with the title; they should've retooled the whole thing, preferably with the help of the comedically proven cast.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pathetic!, September 7, 2007
As much as I love Zach Braff and Amanda Peet, I really thought this movie was a bust. I would have given it 1 star except for the two of them. This is a very dark "comedy," and most of the movie is rather depressing as Braff goes from one predicament to another. You feel sorry for him rather than wanting to laugh. Jason Bateman's character is really too diabolical for a comedy, and the constant pratfalls are just not funny. The movie seems to miss its beat somehow. The concept is sort of cute, a guy whose boss just happens to be his wife's ex, but the movie is more like a foray into an evil and disturbed alternate universe than the side-splitting hilarity I was expecting. I would not recommend this movie.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I think I may have turned your father into a problem drinker, August 25, 2007
I love Zach Braff. Tis the reason my anticipation to see this film was so high. Garden State and The Last Kiss were both amazing movies but I wanted to see him play a character like JD from Scrubs. You know, the kinda wacky, really funny, guy. Enter The Ex.
In no way is this the greatest or funniest movie you'll ever see, let's get that straight right now. And honestly, your enjoyment of this movie will probably be based solely on whether you like Zach Braff or Jason Bateman since they're the primary characters. Everything about this movie is predictable, there's no surprises and I think that that's one of the best things about The Ex. It doesn't try to be something it isn't. However, there isn't that tired 'boy gets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl back' scenario which is a good thing.
Tom (Braff) and wife, Sofia (Peet), move to Ohio after their son is born to try and start anew, thanks to a job offer from Sofia's dad. That's when Tom meets Chip (Bateman), a handicapped guy who is gonna be acting as his mentor at the new job. You can guess what happens next and probably be right.
The thing that keeps The Ex funny throughout is far and away Tom and Chip's fued. I'm sure that's why everyone who heard about this movie wanted to see it, and it's just as funny as I thought it'd be. Now you may think differently. Past that, there are some memorable scenes, but only fans of the actors in it are gonna remember this film. Worth the money though.
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