The Rebound

"Good"

The Rebound Review


A charming and observant tone helps lift this above most romantic comedies, at least until the formula kicks in during the final rather contrived act. But until then, it keeps us happily smiling and sighing along.

After she catches her husband cheating, 40-year-old Sandy (Zeta-Jones) takes her two kids (Gould and Cherry) and moves into Manhattan. She finds an entry-level job and a flat above a coffee shop, where recently divorced 25-year-old barista Aram (Bartha) is happy to watch the kids. Meanwhile, Sandy's pal Daphne (Grant) urges her to get back out on the dating scene, but after a few disastrous nights the babysitter starts to look like a possibility.

But can they overcome their age difference and recover from their bad past relationships?

Frankly, the age gap doesn't seem very dramatic, because Aram is such a mature charmer. Sure, his career path is unfocussed and he lives with his parents (Gleason and Garfunkel), but he's such a nice guy and so perfect for Sandy that it's impossible to believe many of the script's obstacles to their relationship. Sure, their friends and family would make fun of them, but when something works this well, you don't throw it away without a good reason.

Besides this, the film has a sharp comical tone, nicely catching a more feminine perspective on the relationship world than we usually see on screen.

Sandy's initial visit to a female-empowerment seminar is hilarious, and the dialog throughout the film is funny and real. Zeta-Jones and Bartha play these scenes nicely, and are ably supported by an ace cast. Even the kids are excellent, developing sassy characters all their own.

So it's a little frustrating that Freundlich lurches through the story, skipping chunks of time along the way. The vignettes are telling and often jaggedly amusing (an actors' showcase is particularly funny, but a water birth isn't). Perhaps a 15-year age difference is a big deal for an older generation, but it certainly seems like a non-issue today, when 40-year-olds often behave like children. And this film takes such a misstep here that the final scenes feel corny and forced as a result, no matter how delicately assembled and well-performed they are.



The Rebound

Facts and Figures

Genre: Romance

Run time: 95 mins

In Theaters: Wednesday 16th September 2009

Distributed by: Momentum Picutres

Production compaines: Film Department, The

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Fresh: 10 Rotten: 14

IMDB: 6.4 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , Mark Gill, ,

Starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones as Sandy, as Aram Finklestein, as Harry Finklestein, as Roberta Finklestein, as Laura Reilly, Kelly Gould as Sadie (Age 9), Andrew Cherry as Frank Jr. (Age 7), Kate Jennings Grant as Daphne, Rob Kerkovich as Mitch, as Trevor, as Frank, as Sensei Dana, as Alice Marnier

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews