Larry Crowne - film review

Larry Crowne - Film Review

December 2011

This is a bizzare film review if ever there was one, written 36,500 ft over Moscow en route to Almaty, Kazakhstan and a cool minus 63 degrees C nine inches from my business class shoulder. Do in flight movies count? - I see no reason why not.

I like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, two long term bankable stars who I feel I have grown up with and offering a storyline I can relate to. Larry (Hanks) is a divorcee made redundant by Wallmart due to an absence of a college education. A disillusioned Larry returns to school to finish an education he abandoned 25 years ago when he entered the navy. Whilst he is at college he undergoes a metamorphosis, winding back the years and in the process winning the heart of his teacher (Roberts) who herself is going through the last stages of an unhappy marriage.

End result - two middle aged people find themselves, rekindle the passion of their youth and, of course, each other. I don't know if they live happily ever after but the vibes are positive.

In a way the story is as old as the hills, well acted and directed by Hanks who brings a chuckle to jet lagged lips and a warm glow to the heart. Sure its a lightweight rom-com whose plot I will have forgotten  by the time by the time 2011 slips away, but it offered a pleasant escape as I blasted over the Russian steppes.

Its worth seeing if easy watching is what you want, but possibly not worth a 2000 mile detour. Hey up - the Urals are coming up ahead. Time to sign off.