The Good Guy (2009)

I was drawn by the actors but was turned off immediately by constant f bombs. The only reason I watched it to the very end is to see what the first scene meant and to find out what happened to Beth and Tommy. I was totally turned off by the constant obscenities. It was as if they got their degrees and job experience in a prison yard instead of in finance or college. The men were mostly users and out to get only what they wanted themselves. Total jerks and immature. Only one or two of the men in their office had any integrity. Don't want to tell you more in case you want to watch this however I don't recommend wasting your time. Not to spoil too much but I liked the ending.. they got what they deserved.

Huh. I'm surprised this didn't get a better rating. I just watched on netflix and thought it was half decent. The acting, while not Oscar-worthy, was passable and not distractingly bad. The script, while a bit cheesy and clichéd throughout, was also fine. More importantly, I thought the ending twist was quite clever. Yes, as others have pointed out, they flash forward at the beginning of the film gives you some idea that things don't work out well in the end. But it was such a quick comment (I feel sorry for you) that it really didn't cloud the rest of my watching for the next hour. So when the story suddenly shifted and Tommy suddenly starts talking about the long day he spent with another woman, it felt like it was from left field. And then they did a great job quickly shifting the story from the point of view from other women and Tommy's other life. It felt surprisingly like you just learned you'd been duped by a cheating spouse, and had to go back and see how you'd had your rose colored glasses on for the first part of the relationship. Again, not rocket science, but i thought it was clever in a way far surpassing your average rom com.

Julio DePietro's 'The Good Guy' tries to combine the romantic genre and buddy flick genre. It does use a lot of clichés. The story is quite predictable in the first hour and then there are some interesting subtle twists that unfold well during the final half hour. I liked how the director mislead the viewer into thinking one thing while they turned out to be something else. I felt the ending was a copout and a little too convenient as I would have preferred something darker. While the characters are well developed, they are clichéd, especially the Daniel character who happens to be the ideal guy (his favourite book is 'Pride and Prejudice', he was in the army but he is gentle, soft-spoken, shy and kind of a pushover etc). The luminous Alexis Bledel is terrific in a role she's familiar with. Although I would like to see her play different characters in her forthcoming movies. Scott Porter is average and Bryan Greenburg is adequate. Anna Chlumsky is wasted.'The Good Guy' could have benefited more had the clichés been reduced and the story been more layered, complex and dark. It isn't your average date movie as it would appear to be but it's better than that.

The film had its ups and downs and wasn't a smooth enjoyable ride. I liked the three main central characters, particularly Daniel and Tommy whose characters were fleshed out well by the actors. The plot was likable and explored a young woman's journey trying to create a 'good' life for herself. I was let down by Alexis Bledel though who I felt didn't get into the character enough for me to connect with her. I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and she grew on me over the seasons, but this film could have gone a bit further if she had delved more into the role and let the audience in. Not bad work from the other two mains and nicely shot - some good visuals. Watch it if you're interested in the premise of the story and for a decent exploration of a relatable story from three different perspectives. Don't expect ground breaking performances.