Larry Crowne (2011)

When you are sick and tired of action movies or you feel sci-fies don't fit your mood right now, a romantic comedy can be a nice alternative then. Larry Crowne has a certain charm and atmosphere found in You've Cot Mail, however this time consummate Tom Hanks was accompanied by brunet Julia Roberts instead of blond Meg Ryan.

Larry Crowne is a name of the main character portrayed by Tom Hanks. He is a devoted worker at a local megastore, however he was the first candidate for retirement due to his lack of college education. Though middle-aged, Larry decides to enroll in the local college in order to evade such bad luck in future. The two courses he picks up are Economics taught by funny Dr. Matsutani (George Takei) and Speech classes lectured by Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts). Apart from educational course, he also joins a free-spirit community driving scooters. This was easy-going Talia (Guru Mbatha-Raw), who noticed a nice person in Larry covered by the shell of mid-age and old-fashioned clothes.

One day after another quarrel with her husband, a bit tipsy Tainot was resting at the bus station unable to go home on high heels. Larry and a gang of scooter guys were going by. Like a real gentleman, he drove her home. Like a real lady, she bestowed him with a good-buy kiss. The latter evoked the feelings in both, which to the end of the film grows up to something more serious.

Inexplicably, but this movie is definitely under-rated. Whether the viewers were expecting to find deep philosophical issues or a jaw-dropping plot, I don't know. There are none of them, but what you are supposed to see in Larry Crowne is clever humor, intelligent story, good spirit, relaxing atmosphere and pressing (often depressing) issues the major part of Americans have at least once experienced in their lives.

Of course, this movie can't rival with such top-rated films that have become classics of their genre already as Forest Gump, Green Mile or Saving Private Ryan, where a deep message is delivered by Tom Hanks. Yet Larry Crowne doesn't lack good acting also. No doubts, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are excellent, one of the favorite representatives of old school Hollywood. But there is also a number of minor actors who help to boost impression of the movie. Larry's neighbor Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer), the owner of a house sale store, has a unique gift of bargaining. He seems to be a classic example of a be-it-my-way seller. Talia's jealous boyfriend is good too, he is so manful but not too deterrent.

What Larry Crowne have in abundance is feel-goodness. It can be a nice option to spend an hour and a half with your family in an enjoyable way. There is no intensive suspense like in Inception or Shutter Island, no homicide seen in Inglorious Basterds. Neither there is a lol fest like Hangover. This is a light treat, lovely in its way. It's worth to mention that this is Tom Hanks' debut as a film director and story writer, and the third try of him being a producer (after Mamma Mia! and Where the Wild Things Are). So if you are a movie buff, a fan of this multi-talented actor and you are looking for a good movie to get away from obscenity, then see Larry Crowne, a nice blend of comedy & drama.