I hold out hope for Matthew McConaughey.
Yes, he has become more famous for shedding his shirt than for his acting, and yes, he has released a string of tired romantic comedies that smack of little but a paycheck grab.
But he has also expertly portrayed two iconic characters in two of my all-time favorite movies: Wooderson in Dazed and Confused and Buddy Deeds in Lone Star. Those performances alone earn McConaughey a free pass for life. And his funny turn in last year’s Tropic Thunder is a sign that he might still have some interesting work ahead of him.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past falls closer to the lame side of McConaughey’s filmography — at times it’s predictable, obvious, silly and stale. And yet… I found myself really enjoying much of it. Behind the veil of familiarity lie a few interesting touches that I found intriguing.
Like a speech by Breckin Meyer (playing McConaughey’s brother) about the importance of family. And Michael Douglas having loads of fun as the (deceased) lounge lizard uncle who taught McConaughey’s character his womanizing ways (Douglas dispenses depressingly accurate advice like “the person with power in a relationship is the one who cares the least”). And Emma Stone, so refreshingly sexy in Superbad, playing the Ghost of Girlfriends Past as a teenage horror-show in braces and a fright perm… her guided tour through McConaughey’s early years is the highlight of the film.
And Jennifer Garner, of course, who brightens any film she’s in. I continue to maintain that she’s the one true triple-threat actress in Hollywood today — equally adept at comedy, drama and action. I just hope audiences catch on and deliver her some hits.
I mostly forgot the movie shortly after leaving the theater, but it’s perfect for date night. And I’m pulling for you, Matt… come on, man, put the shirt back on and make me believe again.
Meet Me In Montauk 
Great opening line 🙂 Not sure if two film roles can allow you to coast for the rest of your film career (especially after releasing one too many Fool’s Golds). Still, I’m glad to know his presence here doesn’t automatically make this film a stinker.
I’m sure plenty of people would offer other potential triple-threats, perhaps some who haven’t even yet had their big movie break (difficult to imagine Katte Sackhoff, who no doub benefited from Garner’s turn on Alias in the tv world, couldn’t handle all three genres with aplomb. Or Hayden Panettiere). Still, more than anything, I’m glad you’ve given me ammunition to convince Dana to see the film with me 🙂 Thanks.
Hayden Panettiere? Bah! I think she’s a zero-threat. 🙂
Sackhoff is a good example… hope she gets the chance to break into movies.
I’m not sure if I can convince Dad to see this one, but I’ve become a big fan of Jenifer Garner’s too. We’ll see.
What do you have against Hayden Panettiere? She’s proven her action chops in Heroes, and I imagine she’ll show off her rom com cred in I Love You, Beth Cooper. She was a sterling little actress in Remember the Titans. We’ll see….
I forgot about Remember the Titans. I wouldn’t really call her Heroes work action… it basically involves her healing from a series of strange injuries. She doesn’t have the physicality of Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 or Garner.
I find her a bit blank. But maybe she’ll surprise me in Beth Cooper.
Matthew McConaughey always seems in need of a shower. I’ve tried to like him, I really have. In the end, ewww. I have no opinion on Ms. Panetierre’s acting but she was a very good sport when she got punked… (was i supposed to go deep and insightful on this?)
Although there are some sweetly sentimental moments, they are not nearly enough to redeem what is otherwise a fairly mean-spirited film. Nice Review!