"Tom Hans in the world of the text meesaging"

Title: Larry Crowne

Year: 2011
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 98min

Director: Tom Hanks

Writer: Tom Hanks, Nia Vardalos

Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Gugu Mbatha–Raw

Produc.: Universal Pictures, Vendome Pictures, Playtone Productions

Budget: $30 million approx.

In Larry Crowne, Larry (Tom Hanks) is a supermarket employee who decides to return to college after being fired.

Tom Hanks does with this film his second foray behind the camera in a feature film. His previous work as director had been back in the 90's with The Wonders, and its many years later that he just decides to retake the reins of a project, in which he is responsible for both, production and staging, the script and the lead role.

As one of the most talented artists in the industry, it may be unexpected to see him in a romantic comedy that contains just the essentials ingredients to make the film "marketable", but not necessarily good. A product of those which is just enough to see advertised on the promenade, with Hanks and Julia appearing on the posters, to know that not only they will be see together on the big screen, but also that they will end up falling in love.

Larry Crowne, as everything else, has its positives and its negatives. But let us leave the good and its highlight to the end, and focus on what is dull.

It is not wrong to say that this flick is among Hank´s weakest achievements. Although the problem does not lies in the story (speaking in part of personal growth and finding new directions), it is indeed in its argument, very poorly translated into images. A script that is not at all original, and characters that are anything but interesting. Cases of the proper use of film language in the romantic genre could be seen in films like 50 First Dates or It Happened One Night. By contrast, in this film everything works just more or less decently, holding itself with tweezers. But this, only as we witness the adventures of Larry. Because from the moment the cameras reveal to Ms. Mercedes Tairot (Julia), a story which was already being told very badly now on top becomes completely boring and predictable.

Turning Leaf, Larry Crowne anyway contains some remarkable features and, first things first: it has got a good message. We usually tend to say that the primary goal of cinema is to entertain. But that does not mean that it´s not possible at times to offer the audience some nice message to leave the room with. Something to keep in mind and on which later on think about. Larry Crowne talks about the possibility of starting again; in no to think that because we are no longer young, we cannot retrace our steps to take new initiatives. It speaks of the chance of meeting new people who have something different to say.

Unfortunately, the latter is within the little in which Larry Crowne manages not to fail us.

My rating: 4/10

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