Along Came Polly (2004)

Absolutely Fantastic

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It's not often I like romantic comedies, but this one is easy watching and I love the opposites attract in this film.The funny bits are the uncomfortable bits!

A buttoned up newlywed (Ben Stiller) finds his too organized life falling into chaos when he falls in love with an old classmate (Jennifer Aniston).At its core, this is a romantic comedy. And as such, it has the problem of following that same plot that all romantic comedies follow. So the film cannot be given too much credit as far as originality goes. But it does have a bit more humor, because Stiller is not your typical leading man. He is not overly handsome by any means, and often not even funny.What really sells this film, though, and makes it more good than bad, is the performance of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Although only a supporting role, he is pretty darn funny, and steals every scene he is in -- the basketball scene, the insurance pitch... he is brilliant.

Rating-5/10Along Came Polly is a film about two people, who well don't go together very well at all. There is no doubting this is funny, and can be kind of good at times, but all in all it is too shaky and not well made enough to produce something more. It is even well played too, everyone contributes as much as they can but with a poor script and directing too, this is one movie overall I found to be average.I think the reason I found this average is that it feels too rushed and as if the people behind this just tried too fast to make a quick cash taking rom-com with little thought or heart. You know it kind of feels like Ben Stiller movies rolled into one here, a bit too much crude humour on that but still it does seem like that at times, nothing original here and a film that doesn't really bring positivity to the party.Now Ben Stiller as the main character Reuben is OK and Jennifer Aniston as Polly is the same, the problem is they don't gel and that is the key here to why this isn't a good show from the creators. I did like the supporting cast, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Sandy is funny at moments and Alec Baldwin chips in too acting wise, but in all honesty because the main two's chemistry doesn't work, it kind of ruins it for all.Now John Hamburg writes and directs this and does it in a way as I said before, like every other Ben Stiller ever made. He seems to make it funny but miss out the romance, and when he tries to make the romance it just isn't serious enough to warrant this likable. Is it his fault Aniston and Stiller don't mix?, well could be.Now onto the positives and there are a few actually, the jokes are well done and although as said sometimes crude, can be hilarious if really listened too. The Romance element can make you think at times and could be considered "sweet" by some, still no reason for it to be good. The main actors actually do make this slightly better, they can be relied on to be consistent here but maybe that is the problem, drawing people to watch it only because of the big names.It is basically Rom-com gone bad and one that for me is unforgivable given that Hamburg and Stiller can and have made good films like this before, but both (but more Hamburg), fail at this one. I said about the jokes being good, well it can have it's bad one's too as I said, they are too seen before, in fact the vast majority of this movie feels like it has been done before.Overall a mediocre and average movie that although nearer kind of OK than Poor, still isn't anything to be proud of. It's the kind of film that doesn't ruin careers, but is one that I doubt can be looked back on with great fondness and inspiration and must be swiftly moved on. Finally I add that it is watch able and I mean that, just not the kind of film that should impress you or anyone else as it just seems as so often mentioned already, done before.

Along Came Polly does exactly what it says on the tin. Ben Stiller does his usual Ben Stiller routine, whilst Jennifer Aniston is in the comfort zone of her normal type role. Plot In A Paragraph: An uptight neurotic newly wed (Ben Stiller) finds his world turned upside down when his wife leaves him on their honeymoon. He then runs into his old classmate Polly (Jennifer Aniston) and she helps him move on. I'll admit from the off, that I am bias. I love Jennifer Aniston. With her gorgeous girl next door looks and permanently erect nipples. I adore her, and will usually give anything she is in a chance. My main problem with the movie is Ben Stiller once again doing his usual nice guy Ben Stiller routine. It's more than a bit tiresome and boring now, as (with the exception of Dodgeball and Zoolander) he is always playing the same role.On the plus side, Bryan Brown is superb, as is Phillip Seymour Hoffman. As for Aniston, she remains one of the most talented and beautiful women in movies, and her ladylike sexiness is in rare supply. Any movie becomes promising just by having her name in it's cast.It has it's moments before it's predictable ending.