08 May,2015 12:36 PM IST | | Mihir Fadnavis
With a better script, and a better production that guarantees him a solid release, director Justin Reardon can surely make a good movie, but 'Playing it Cool' is a very boring and forgettable one
u00e2u0080u0098Playing it Coolu00e2u0080u0099 - Movie Review
'Playing it Cool'
A; Comedy/Romance
Director: Justin Reardon
Cast: Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan
Rating:
Some films have the ignominy of being dead on arrival, and almost everyone in the film looks like they knew that the film is going to tank. There are bored faces, forced smiles, lack of screen presence and even more obvious lack of energy in the film. It's an unfortunate situation for both, the people in the movie, and the people watching the movie, and surely more depressing for people who made the movie. The ignominy of such a situation is faced by this week's release 'Playing it Cool'.
Chris Evans and Michelle Monaghan in a still from 'Playing it Cool'. Pic/YouTube
The film stars extremely recognizable faces, including Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Aubrey Plaza, Anthony Mackie and Topher Grace, and if you still haven't heard of this film you're not to blame. The film was shot in 2012, put on the backburner for a long time, until it was given a Video On Demand release back in March in the US. Somehow it's found itself releasing theatrically in a few countries, probably owing to the fact that two of the star cast members are Captain America and Falcon.
Evans plays a writer named Me, he's on the worst kind of writers block and is bitter towards any emotion that reminds him of love. He's got issues, to say the least, and he's happy to while away his time with his friends (Grace, Plaza, Martin Starr, Luke Wilson), and have one night stands. As expected, things change when he meets a woman named Her (Monaghan) who turns out to be as funny and charming as him, and he becomes infatuated with her. Since Her is about to be married, Me can't date Her, so he goes out on 'friendly meetings' with Her. As expected, things get more complicated and serious. Throw in Me's 'mommy issues' and you have the hackneyed attempts at bringing out drama.
The stunningly clichéd script is brought to life by debutant Justin Reardon's flashy direction in which we are 'swept into' Me's life with quirky camerawork. The film cuts to different time zones, and even different countries, and Me even becomes Oriental for a while - it's all showy work but it seems more like a director's advertising showreel rather than a completely piece of cinema. With a better script, and a better production that guarantees him a solid release, Reardon can surely make a good movie, this one ultimately is a very boring and forgettable one.
