Identity theft is a major issue in American (and global) society
due, in part, to technological advances that make acquiring personal and
financial data frustratingly simple, but director Seth Gor
Based on a Jeffrey Eugenides short story and directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, this predictable romantic comedy finds Jennifer Aniston playing as single career woman seeking a sperm donor for the child she wants before it's too late, only to have her selected juice accidentally and unknowingly swapped out for that of a longtime friend (Jason Bateman) who has the hots for her. Grade: C.
If ever there was need for an example of the whole not adding up to the sum of its parts, then let 'Couples Retreat' hereby stand as Exhibit A. The movie assembles four couples in relationships in various stages of duress and quickly trots them off to an island paradise where all of their problems will be solved — not before they go out of their ways to make things much worse, of course. Grade: D.
As prolific as writer/director Mike Judge has been throughout a stellar career that includes such television staples as 'Beavis and Butt-Head' and 'King of the Hill' and cult films as 'Office Space' and 'Idiocracy,' it's to his detriment (and ours) that he hasn't done more feature films. The tone of 'Extract' is spot-on, but unfortunately Judge never manages to bring the humor to a boil. Grade: B-.