MOVIE REVIEW: SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY (2015)

From IMDB:

Storyline

A married Broadway director falls for a prostitute-turned-actress and works to help her advance her career.

Ratings: 6.6/10 from 487 users Metascore: 54/100
Reviews: write review | 21 critic | 8 from Metacritic.com


From Rotten Tomatoes:

MOVIE INFO

A married Broadway director (Owen Wilson) implores a call girl to turn her life around while the star of his latest production (Rhys Ifans) makes a play for his wife (Kathryn Hahn) in this ensemble comedy from director Peter Bogdonavich. Jennifer Aniston, Cybill Shepherd, Will Forte, and Lucy Punch co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

TOMATOMETER No Tomatometer score yet
Average Rating: N/A | Reviews Counted: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2
WANT TO SEE 83% want to see
Average Rating: 3.5/5 | User Ratings: 1,389

Opens in Malaysia 7th May, 2015 and for the rest of the world find out when it opens HERE!

So this is the first time they meet and instead of getting down to business with the lotions he takes her out on a date. ©Clarius Entertainment

So there's Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson on the cover along with some other people. It's got to be a Romantic Comedy, right?  P.S. SKIP TO THE END IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SPOIL IT FOR YOU.

Well, yes and no. I honestly thought it was going to be a RomCom but it isn't really if your idea of Romantic Comedies are anything like When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993) or even Pretty Woman (1990). There's not that much romance but it is funny. So let me try to tell you what it's about. This is the point where I try to recollect what I saw, so there will be SPOILERS. But it probably won't be as funny as watching the movie itself. It'll be more about what happens. So enjoy... Or not.

The movie starts off with us meeting Isabella "Izzy" Beatty who is played by Imogen Poots, she's being interviewed on her new found status as a movie star, or at least that's what it seems to me. She's telling us about how it all began to happen for her which actually introduces us to the next character which is Arnold Albertson (Owen Wilson) who just flew into town. He's in town because he's directing a play. We see Arnold arrive at his hotel and as he alights the elevator to get to his room he bumps into Seth Gilbert (Rhys Ifans) who is his lead male actor in the play. They exchange surprised comments as to how they didn't expect each to bump into each other before heading their own ways. Later that evening we see Arnold make a call to an escort service. As he's trying to make arrangements for the lady at the other end to send him a lady he gets a call from his kids. This scene has him go back and forth between the escort service whom he gives the name Derrick to and his kids and wife. It's sort of funny. Owen Wilson funny.

Next we're introduced to Izzy at this point of her life i.e. before the fame and her family which are very loud. She gets the call from her escort boss lady and agrees to the job. An hour later she shows up at Arnold's door but instead of getting right to the task at hand (or in this case in bed) Arnold invites her to dinner first so off the go to an Indian Restaurant where after the meal Arnold is sweating from the food and suggests a horse and carriage ride around the park to cool off. They get to talking and get to know each other. Sounds like a typical RomCom, right? She's flattered by the attention and the conversation softens her towards Arnold. Later on, after finishing of their bout of horizontal samba Arnold gets all philosophical about life and how only you can make yourself happy. Then he offers her $30.000 to stop being a call girl and to pursue what she wants to do which is acting. The next morning as Izzy is leaving Seth spots them. 

Isn't he a good boyfriend holding her shopping bags and her dog. Better than his other role which is being the last man on earth,,, for awhile. ©Clarius Entertainment

The next day we see Arnold at the airport waiting for his wife and kids to arrive but as he's waiting there a woman recognizes him and calls to him. It's another call girl from his past. She too got $30,000 from him and is now a successful businesswoman. This of course makes Arnold panic since his family could show up at any time. But of course this is too early in the movie for this to happen. 

Back to Izzy and the interview and she's telling us about how her job as a call girl has allowed her to inspire people and she tells us about a particular older gentleman who is also a judge who before meeting her couldn't pass verdicts and judgments worth a cent but after their meetings he threw them out like candy at a birthday party. But that's not all though because now that old judge (Austin Pendleton) has an unhealthy obsession with her. 

So now we meet the judge, it's evening and he's at home where we see him rush into the bathroom turn on all the taps and makes a call to Vicky (Debi Mazar) the escort lady boss trying to see if he can meet with Izzy who goes under the name Glowstick. Vicky tells him that she's quit the job and this makes him desperate. In desperation he calls his therapist Vivian Claremont (Joanna Lumley) but all he gets is a voice message, it turns out that she's gone on a holiday and all her clients have been referred to her daughter Jane (Jennifer Aniston). So he calls her. And now we're introduced to two more characters.

In movies especially movies cheating men do this a lot. If only it happens in the real world, right? ©Clarius Entertainment

We meet Jane and her boyfriend Joshua Fleet (Will Forte) they're walking and reach the corner to cross the street when a phone rings but no one answers. She gets irritated and loudly asks will someone answer their phone but of course it turns out it was hers. It's the judge but since her mood is ruined (it wasn't all that good actually) she is very curt with and tells him to call some other time and promptly tells him when does times are before ending the call. So they continue walking and again the phone rings, she goes to answer it but it turns out that it's Joshua's phone and of course this makes her mad, how rude of him to answer the phone while they're together. It's Joshua's dad on the phone which gets her madder since she says his father never stops calling and that it's weird that his father is like that. So now she's mad at him and her day is ruined and she's calling a cab to leave except that Joshua asks her doesn't she want her dog and shopping bags too? This of course makes her call him the rudest person she knows. So yeah, she's a therapist.

Now were back with Izzy and she gets a call about an audition and if she knows the name Arnold Albertson which of course she hasn't so off she goes to the audition the next day. But before she heads to the audition she drops by to see her therapist which turns out to be on holiday but her helpful daughter is helping pick up the slack. Guess who it is. Anyway, as it's the first time Jane and Izzy meet Jane is very, how shall we say, direct with her analysis of Izzy. She starts with her name and then her job as a call girl and in the middle of all this she gets a call from her mother which ruins her mood. But it doesn't go all bad actually, Izzy tells her she's stopped being a call girl and is becoming an actress which Jane thinks is very good for her and sends her off with a good luck.

So now it's the day of the audition and just as she's being instructed to wait her turn she looks down at the audience seats and spots Derrick aka Arnold and she begins to panic she tries to flee but as she does Seth spots her first and pulls her on stage. Now Arnold spots her and he begins to get flustered. But Seth doesn't let her leave and insists on her doing a read with Delta (Kathryn Hahn) who is Arnold's wife. She does a terrific job reading as a friend who confesses to her bestfriend that she's a call girl and that she's slept with a friend. Delta and Seth are impressed and want her in the play but Arnold is reluctant of course and tells them to sleep on the decision. Just as Izzy is making her way out she's stopped by Joshua who is the playwright of the play she's auditioned for, he's asking if she'd like to go to dinner.

If your therapist gives you this look while you're pouring your heart out what would you be thinking? ©Clarius Entertainment

At about the same time, the old Judge is meeting with Jane who is also Izzy's therapist. As the Judge is telling her about his obsession he lets slip the name Glowstick and this of course makes Jane blurb out the fact that she too knows this name and also lets slip that Glowstick is her client too. Yeah, she's not that good at that patient-doctor confidentiality thing. As she's 'sharing' information about Izzy she gets a call from Joshua who tells her that he can't make it to dinner, this infuriates her and of course ruins her evening plans. She tells him that she'll be starving that night and puts down the phone. The Judge invites her to dinner. 

So now we see Joshua and Izzy at Nick's an Italian Restaurant. We also see Jane and Judge Pendergast there and later Arnold and Delta. Another person shows up before Jane and the Judge, the Private Investigator the Judge hired to find out more about Izzy. The investigator spots all of them first, then the Judge spots Izzy and then he sees the man Izzy is with and since he breaks two glasses doing it Jane leans over and spots Joshua which has her walk right up to him and punch him square on the jaw. This brings everyone over to Izzy's table including the Investigator which turns out to be Joshua's father. Jane walks out of the restaurant followed by the Judge but the Judge doesn't catch her in time and turns to go back in before being stopped by Harold the investigator. Meanwhile inside Izzy spots Arnold walk in with Delta and excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Joshua goes over to Arnold and tells him that he's there with Izzy meanwhile Delta heads for the bathroom and spots Izzy trying to escape through a window. Izzy tells her she's just taking in some fresh air.

So now Izzy comes back with Delta but informs everyone that she's not feeling well, Joshua offers to take her home. Just as they're about to leave Seth shows up with a girl who immediately recognizes Izzy and calls her Glow. This confuses some but Izzy acts like it's a case of mistaken identity and rushes out with Joshua. Just as Seth is about to head to his table he drops the name Vicky saying that they both know Vicky. Arnold of course just makes up some excuse about how everyone looks alike or something like that. 

Does this look like a good detective? ©Clarius Entertainment

The next day Delta convinces Arnold to hire Izzy for the role she read earlier. Later on they're shopping and as they're walking around they spot Seth and as they're talking Arnold spots another person who's life he's helped change by giving them $30,000. He immediately rushes Delta to another area of the department store where Delta spots something she'd like to try on but as she's trying it on the woman he helped spots him and loudly yells out the thing that Arnold tells all the girls before he offers them the money. Delta hears this and immediately knows what's up, he's used that line on her too. She comes out in a huff and basically calls him a lech and a horrible human being before rushing off with Seth. 

In the car with Seth she's complaining about Arnold and men in general. Seth meanwhile uses this opportunity to put the moves on her. You see Seth and Delta had a thing in the past and he still has a thing for her now. She refuses but tells him she might change her mind later in the evening.

So now it's evening and back at the hotel. Seth has moved rooms so that his room is now directly opposite Arnold's. Also Judge Pendergast shows up trying to exorcise Izzy out of his life by asking for a call girl that looks like Izzy. Judge Pendergast's room is next to Seth's. Can you tell what happens next? I'll tell you, Seth too has called for an escort for the evening and as he's making arrangements for it Delta calls to say she's coming over. This of course has Seth telling Vicky not to send her over but unfortunately Vicky can't do that since the girl is already on the way. Arnold on the other hand has asked Izzy to drop by for a talk and maybe go through the script. The Izzy lookalike and Izzy show up at the same time and both stand at their respective doors at the same time. Arnold and Seth spot each other and their guest. 

The look everyone gets when suddenly an ex shows up. ©Clarius Entertainment

Seth is in a bind since now he has to get rid of the girl before Delta shows up but unfortunately for him the girl doesn't speak english all that fluently and is a bit of a blonde. And then Delta shows up. Seth tells her to hide in the bathroom but wouldn't you know the moment Delta comes in she needs to go into the bathroom. The lookalike hides in the shower stall but is soon found out when Vicky's starts talking, the lookalike left her phone on speaker. This of course has Delta mad as heck and claiming that all men are alike and storms off. At the lobby she stops to call Arnold to say that she's there and wants to see him. Of course Arnold can't have Delta know that Izzy is in the room with him but before she can leave Delta is knocking at the door so Izzy goes into the bathroom. But as Delta sits down she detects a scent in the air. And as she looks around the room she spots a purple stuffed squirrel that Izzy just gave to Arnold. Delta is up like a shot and starts looking around the room and finds Izzy in the bathroom. She storms out of Arnold's room where Seth is standing in the hallway. The lookalike is there too, apparently she went to the wrong room. You see she was supposed to go to Judge Pendergast's room. But this doesn't change a thing. Delta is furious with both of them. 

The next day and it's rehearsal time for the play. Arnold starts it off with a little speech about how they should all be professionals and not bring personal issues and problems into the play. This is received about as well as you'd expect by Delta who loudly and sarcastically agrees before telling him the scene she'd like to rehearse first which just happens to be a bedroom scene with Seth. She reads her lines and as she reaches certain points she glares over at Arnold. Then comes the kissing scene and goes for it like a hungry lion. This of course makes everyone uncomfortable. At the same time we spot Joshua's dad show up, Judge Pendergast sneak in, Izzy's dad prowling backstage and of course Jane shows up because she's still mad at Joshua. 

Seth is supposed to be a really famous star and there's a scene where he's mobbed but apparently he can still go out to dinner with an escort and not have paparazzi all over the place. ©Clarius Entertainment

They all end up in the theater with Izzy's dad asking who's slept with her daughter and that he'll punch all of them at which point Jane points fingers which results in Judge Pendergast being punched but just before he can punch the next person Izzy's mom shows up to stop him. Meanwhile Seth is making eyes at Jane and Jane pulls out her panic whistle and blows it. And also a lot of confusion.

So now we're back at the interview and Izzy or Isabel as she's known as now is wrapping up her story. She tells the interviewer about where everyone is now and how they're doing and also that she's now got a new boyfriend/mentor. That person turns out to be Quentin Tarantino. 

The end. Or what I remember of it.

So just prior to this scene they were in a cab but the driver got so annoyed that he just stopped in the middle of the road, got out and caught another cab. ©Clarius Entertainment

So it really isn't a Romantic Comedy. It's just a comedy. Is that good or bad? 

Honestly speaking, I had fun. It was a pretty good and funny movie. Granted that the situations are ridiculously unrealistic but it's a movie, if you expect realism then go watch a documentary. Even biopics and movies based on true events take creative liberty with their retellings. So it's not a romantic comedy even though the title and the poster looks like it is but that isn't a bad thing. Heck you should probably spot that it might not be a romantic comedy when Owen Wilson is in it. He's comedies usually have some sort of exaggerated situation that just happens to be ridiculously silly. This is that movie. Here's another thing, when I was watching it I kept thinking this is a very New York kind of movie and it made me think of Seinfeld. It's just that combination of exaggerated situations and coincidences combined with really interesting characters that can only happen in New York.

Now let's talk about the performances. I thought they all did well, for what it's worth. It was all well pulled off in that exaggerated sense of it. Very much like Seinfeld or any sitcom that took place in New York. And it was fun to see all the cameos too. There's Cybill Shepherd whom I remember from a TV series called Moonlighting (1985-1989) which also starred a not bald Bruce Willis, Richard Lewis a stand-up comedian from way back but I remember him from The Larry Sanders Show next to Garry Shandling and also for the fact that he made fun of the fact that he always wore his pants too high, Joanna Lumley who was famous for her role as Patsy the ditzy friend on Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2012) as well as Tatum O'Neal and of course Quentin Tarantino.

That squirrel there is part of a running joke/theme in the movie. You'll have to watch it to find out. ©Clarius Entertainment

This movie was just simply silly and fun. There's nothing more to it. You should approach this movie like you would your favorite sitcom. Expect the situation to be ridiculous and exaggerated, expect the characters you meet will be just as ridiculous or not at all considering the situation they're in. Don't go in expecting a deep and fulfilling story. Do not go in thinking that it'll be a romantic comedy like the ones you enjoyed or if you do drop it as soon as you can. Don't think of it as an Owen Wilson comedy or even that Jennifer Aniston one where she plays the horny dentist and of course don't go in it thinking this will be something like You've Got Mail (1998). Don't even go in thinking that it'll be original or anything. Just expect a quirky comedy and have fun.

Like I said I had fun watching it. At the end of it I thought that this movie would be a good date night movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you. So I'm giving it a decent 3 out of 5. If you like Owen Wilson comedies then give this a try. If you've enjoyed Jennifer Aniston's comedic performance then give this a try. Or if you don't know what to do or where to go this weekend with your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend then why not go watch this. You'll have fun and I might even guarantee you that.

She pulls this face quite a lot in this movie. So you know what kind of movie it is. ©Clarius Entertainment

Also this movie made me think of When Harry Met Sally in a few ways 1) they both start of have 'interviews' at the beginning and then go into flashbacks, 2) the lead actresses look almost alike even down to the hair, 3) there's a scene where the lead actress does something that shocks and/or impresses everyone watching. I think that's about it.

I'D LIKE TO THANK CHURP CHURP AS WELL AS SQUARE BOX PICTURES MALAYSIA FOR THE PASSES

AND THANK YOU GSC CINEMAS @ ONE UTAMA FOR BEING THE VENUE