The new Ryan Reynolds vehicle 'Just Friends' studies the theme of the 'friend zone' in an in-depth fashion. It looks at that bizarre area where a man and a woman like each other, but their friendship prevents the relationship from advancing any further. Oddly enough, 'Just Friends' exists in this same zone'the movie tries hard to make the audience like it, but as everyone knows, it will never succeed.
Reynold's Chris begins the film as the fat-but-loveable nerd who has an unrequited crush on his platonic hottie best friend Jamie (Amy Smart). After being rejected by his would-be lover, the heartbroken Chris leaves town, goes on a diet and becomes a womanizing PR exec out in L.A. Chris then returns home after 10 years, only to find that he'brace yourself for a shock'still has feelings for Jamie, and tries everything he can to escape the notorious 'friend zone' and win Jamie's heart. Complicating the situation is the appearance of fellow nerd-turned-hunk Dusty (Chris Klein) and Anna Faris playing a shallow rock star who still has her eye on Chris.
Ryan Reynolds, who is best known for playing the glib smartass in movies like 'Van Wilder' and 'Waiting...,' seems to have real difficulty playing the humble Chris. His acting style makes it seem like he wants to play a nice guy, but he is too self-conscious about his image to fully let his guard down. He is most at home giving monologues and instructions than interacting with any of his co-stars. He also has no chemistry with Amy Smart, and why either character would want the other one after all of the trouble they have put each other through is beyond explanation. The one saving grace is Faris, who plays the borderline-psychotic rocker Samantha in an incredibly hilarious fashion.
Richard Kumble, director of 'Cruel Intentions' and the forgettable 'The Sweetest Thing,' does a capable job with the material. After all, it is not his fault that this romantic comedy features two'count 'em'two people getting shot with a taser. Kumble tries making Reynolds appear somewhat likeable and succeeds for about the first 45 minutes. After that he seems to lose control, or maybe his film is just the best that the material he was given can support. Whatever the case is, it simply does not work.
The film seems to get more repetitive and sophomoric as it goes on, and, in reality, it is just a poor cousin of better, funnier movies like 'American Pie' or 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' but without the heart and brains that these other films possessed. It feels like the film does not really know what kind of movie it wants to be; it is not edgy enough to be a Farrelly Brothers-style gross-out comedy, but its humor is too juvenile for any other classification. It is content to offer easy gags instead of making the characters and their situations matter to the audience.
'Just Friends' is at its best somewhat enjoyable, at its worst deplorable and an ultimately forgettable movie-going experience. Though there are moments of fun, the weak cast and script cannot elevate it above anything more than a basic fart-joke comedy.
