Swinging with the Finkels (2011)

Mandy Moore. This singer turned actress had two movies out in 2010. One was where she voiced a Disney Princess named Rapunzel in Tangled(which according to Rotten Tomatoes) is the best film that she has ever done in her career. And then there is this mediocre romantic comedy Swinging With The Finkels. She plays Martin Freeman's wife(yeah the guy is too old for her,you would take him to be her dad)who wants to swap him for another couple as the two can swing with the other couples. So they come across this couple and they see what sex is like with the other person. I couldn't watch half of this at all as I was switching back and forth on TV as it was bearable to watch. In my opinion I think Mandy Moore tries too hard. She reminds me of Meg Ryan in the days. She always plays this sweet innocent chick that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth ,instead of actually playing other characters that haven't got that angelic persona that both Moore and Ryan have. Bottom line I was disappointed in this movie and if you really want to see what a great actress Ms Moore is then check her out in A Walk To Remember(2002) and of course my all time favourite film Tangled. These two films really showcase her talent as she is a great singer and I wish she would focus more on her music again besides wasting her talent on rubbish films like this one that I am reviewing. Another thing I forgot to mention is her and Martin Freeman together as a couple. It just doesn't work. Yes the two have worked together before in the past called Deception(it was directed by Justin Therox)but I just couldn't invest myself with Moore and Freeman AT ALL as Alvin and Ellie Finkel. I mean why on earth would they swap partners for anyway its just total rubbish.AvoidAlso keep an eye out for Louie Spence(who is well known here in the UK in Strictly Come Dancing)and of course Ben Stiller's dad Jerry Stiller.

Well, this is downright peculiar, and no mistake. We have what appears to be a perfectly straightforward comedy/drama of morals/manners, whereby after 9 years of marriage, Alvin Finkel and his American wife Sarah find their marriage getting a bit stale, so they try a partner swap with another couple, then separate. Look a bit deeper though, and things aren't quite so straightforward.This film has a definite air of an American reject being set in London instead of New York, with Martin Freeman playing the mildly neurotic smart-arse part which might have been played once upon a time by a young Woody Allen. This feeling is added to by Sarah's grandparents (Jerry Stiller and (I think} Beverly Klein) being very Jewish without there being the slightest indication that Alvin and Sarah are Jewish, apart from their name (not many English Jews called Alvin, incidentally). The grandparents serve no dramatic purpose other than being necessary for the payoff of one of the gags, by the way. Also, at one point, Angus Deayton actually utters the word "gotten". Sorry, but no-one in England says "gotten." So this strange transAtlantic vibe pervades a story which would actually work a lot better if we were able to care about the people in it. I nearly cared about Mandy Moore's Sarah, but I cared not a jot about Martin Freeman's character. And without anything at stake, the dramatic element of the movie did nothing for me.There were places where it was amusing but, broadly, this was a misfire with an identity crisis.

I take my hat off to Jonathan Newman for making a British film that isn't all doom and gloom. There are quite a few LOL moments in this movie, not just from the action but from the dialog as well. It has an American feel to it which I like and think is clever as this gives it international appeal. Okay, it's not 100% representative of a real couple living in London but so what? It's a romantic comedy, it's supposed to just entertain you, and that it does. It actually brought a tear to my eye at one point but it was a happy tear, not a sad one. It is just so nice to go and see a British film without leaving the theater completely depressed.

This is a great movie - funny, fresh and original. Director Jonathan Newman is a film maker to keep an eye on. The plot is hilarious, the cast are perfect and there is an exceptionally funny moment in the film that will certainly raise a few eyebrows. If you enjoyed "Something Like Mary" - you will definitely enjoy this.Newman paints a very positive picture of life, friendships and relationships and how what you are seeking in life is usually found within. His images of London are heart warming, bold and powerful. You must go and see this film, I can't recommend it enough.