Liebe to go – Die längste Woche meines Lebens (2014)

Liebe to go – Die längste Woche meines Lebens: Directed by Peter Glanz. With Jason Bateman, Tony Roberts, Laura Clery, William Abadie. Conrad (Jason Bateman) is helped by his old friend Dylan (Billy Crudup) and returns the favor by falling for Dylan’s girlfriend Beatrice (Olivia Wilde).

“Donu0026#39;t get me wrong. This isnu0026#39;t a terrible movie. Itu0026#39;s beautifully filmed and well acted, but itu0026#39;s just ultimately unsatisfying. I didnu0026#39;t mind passing an evening watching on Amazon Prime, but I wouldnu0026#39;t have been happy if Iu0026#39;d spent money for it in a theater.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movie starts out with Bateman, as Conrad, laying out his privileged upper class problems to his therapist – played by Tony Roberts! And if that wasnu0026#39;t enough, the soundtrack launches into some New Orleans Jazz to remove any doubt who theyu0026#39;re playing homage to here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOf course, Jason Batemanu0026#39;s handsome and well spoken character would certainly be the *villain* in any Manhattan-era Woody Allen films, but thatu0026#39;s just one of this movieu0026#39;s many problems.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStylistically, the movie is unabashedly influenced by Wes Anderson. Roberts becomes the narrator, and the movie is divided into storybook style chapters, with occasional amusing cutaways.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOn the other hand, the plot is lifted from another movie; namely, u0026quot;A New Leafu0026quot; (1971), written and directed by Elaine May, and starring Walter Mathau. Mathau plays a spoiled rich playboy who has burned through his entire inheritance, and now must find a way to.get through life broke, which is basically the same plot as this movie. Mayu0026#39;s version is a classic. This, not so much.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBoth Allen and Anderson have a real genius for portraying deeply flawed characters in a sympathetic way, and thatu0026#39;s where this movie falls short. Jason Bateman is inherently likable, but at some point, you realize youu0026#39;re giving him credit for other characters heu0026#39;s played. As Conrad, heu0026#39;s shallow, self-centered, whiny, and just basically annoying.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWithout giving away any spoilers, if youu0026#39;re expecting any great self-realization or epiphany, youu0026#39;ll be disappointed. The movie just meanders its way to one of the absolute laziest endings Iu0026#39;ve ever scene. Indeed, a critical plot point comes and goes so quickly that I initially missed it, and had to go back because I was totally confused.”