Not Such a Great Catch

The trailer for Jennifer Garner's latest film, Catch and Release, doesn't exactly promise a very good movie. So the good news is that the trailer gets it partly wrong. For example, Catch is not a fun, cutesy romantic comedy about a woman getting over the death of her fiancee by falling in love with his best friend. Instead, it's a rather serious film about a woman whose fiancee dies just days before the wedding, and who, in dealing with her grief, learns surprising things about him and herself. Alright, fine, she does also fall in love with his best friend, but she does it reluctantly. And even better, that's not really the crux of the movie. So I guess the film's surprising depth is what redeems it from being a typical January throw-away.

Still, let's not go too far with praise here. While the romance doesn't feel totally forced, it does feel unrealistic. And Kevin Smith, playing a role probably meant for Jack Black, should probably stick to films he writes and directs, where he usually plays a character named Silent Bob. Overall, the screenplay (by Susannah Grant, who also wrote Erin Brockovich and In Her Shoes, and who makes her directorial debut here) could have used some pruning; the generally likable cast helps a great deal to overcome its limitations. Still, I just didn't get into the story enough and found certain plot details predictable or unnecessary. And Jennifer Garner just isn't given enough opportunities to smile. When she does, it basically makes the movie worth watching — as does the scene where she's wearing her wedding dress. Catch earns points for being better than expected, but loses some for just not being compelling enough. So, I'm giving it a B–.