Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

William James Harper This movie is so retarded that it would be hard to find anything really good to say about it if you are looking for a film that has even the slightest pretense of being realistic. None of the characters are drawn from real life. I mean people just do not act the way they do in real life. If this were a comedy that might be acceptable for the sake of getting a laugh, but this pretentious, disjointed work isn't even a black comedy so there's no real reason to accept what you see on screen. None of the people in the movie are very likable. If the lead male character was focused on as someone having a dreadful midlife crisis, I might have overlooked some of the plot silliness but he's not. If you want a by-the-formula movie, full of improbable action and absurd coincidences, vile profanity and needless brief nudity, then spend your time watching this piece of junk.

elshikh4 What a movie ! Actually except for the bloody climax it could've been one of the greatest movies ever made. It's not another road movie or else; it's one sharp reviewing for the real meaning of "duet" in our contemporary life. When they choose the karaoke it wasn't randomly as long as no one is born with the gift of knowing how to love. The singer on the stage needs an audience to be that bond that could make the both of them happy or lively so the human relationships. You must practice a lot to be that talented in love because it's not about the tune inasmuch as the way of your singing.. The way you feel and want the other to feel. Therefore (Giamatti)'s character said at the end "I sing now!" as he meant that he loves AND gets used to be loved.You would grasp the smart philosophy of it when you notice how it got all the main connections' kinds : the family (Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis), the friendship (Andre Braugher & Paul Giamatti), and the love story (Gwyneth Paltrow & Scott Speedman). It can't be life without being in a duet.Despite that it got solid catchy characters, some clever ironic situations (especially at the first act), but I didn't like the whole third act whereas I didn't see (Maria Bello)'s development as a character for the better, or even the logicality of the peacemaking between the father and his daughter, not to mention the melodramatic death of (Andre Braugher) !! I couldn't perceive for a second why he committed suicide like this ! The script wanted to make him that martyr friend, or that solo forever character..Fine ! But in the most unconvincing way ! Besides the confusion at the matter of killing the road store's owner or not; which wasn't for the sake of the movie, totally unlike the confusion of who did win at the end ? As simply and wonderfully put : they all won ! The songs at the end were dramatically expressing to the utmost. The performance was perfect yet as always (Paul Giamatti) is sunnier than the rest as that extinguished exhausted man, partly because he's everyone's impossible dream as the easy rider of the middle class, or the angry insane version of (Albert Brooks) in (Lost in America).It's representing how life is a complicated duet, and if both try their best at it then they may have the biggest trophy of them all : Love.

douglaswilson I admit it -- I'm a total sucker for this movie for all of the right reasons, and some of the wrong ones (like, it's very touching to me that Bruce Paltrow made this movie with his daughter Gwyneth and died a year or so later). Having Huey Lewis in the movie and singing a few of his monster hits is a plus all by itself, and it turns out he can actually act decently. The Paul Giamatti - Andre Braugher duo, both in terms of plot, their excellent acting, and their blow-you-away singing performance, is something I never tire of seeing, and I've watched this movie five times and have it on disk. The plot is superficially pedestrian but actually very engaging and psychologically legitimate despite the displays of craziness by the characters. People do get crazy and do that kind of stuff. As for Gwyneth Paltrow, there seems to be no role she can't get into and occupy with beautiful effect.This was never intended to be a Great Movie. It was a nice little story, made into a very fine, charming, stick-to-your memory movie with talent oozing out the corners. People who rate it mediocre are just not seeing the pearl for the oyster.

Christopher Mace I saw this the other night/morning. It was on after that 16 years' celebration of The Royal Variety Performance and I fully intended to go to bed, but watched the first scenes anyway. Then the next, and so on. By halfway through I had DEFINITELY got into it big time. Gwyneth Paltrow is the only actor in it I'm familiar with, but the characters that made me keep watching were so obviously Todd and Reggie. Todd more than Reggie because he became less stuffy and businessey and almost a noncomformist, and being a Goth, that was great to see. His views on America can easily be said to mean Everywhere and he was so chilled, and the music really gave him meaning. Reggie was just lovable. The music, encompassing so many different decades and styles, was a beauty to hear and, though I can't carry a note myself, if there's anyone out there willing to try to teach me, gimme a ring, heheh.