YOUR PLACE OR MINE – “Overly chintzy rom-com fare with likable leads”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Directed by: Aline Brosh McKenna (Directorial debut)
MAIN CAST
• Reese Witherspoon as Debbie
• Ashton Kutcher as Peter
• Jesse Williams as Theo
• Wesley Kimmel as Jack
• Rachel Bloom as Scarlet
• Steve Zahn as Zen
SYNOPSIS
Debbie and Peter are best friends and total opposites. She craves routine with her son in LA, but he thrives on change in NY. When they swap houses and lives for a week, they discover what they think they want might not be what they really need.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Your Place or Mine is overly chintzy rom-com fare with likable leads. And it’s a good thing for those leads, as Witherspoon and Kutcher carry the cookie-cutter story to a level of decent enjoyability. They also need to be given some credit for maintaining a workable chemistry through mostly “face time” calls, as their characters rarely share the same space in the film – until the inevitable finale that is. Listen, it’s predictable and depthless, but it’s also harmless and comforting in its nostalgia. It’s a true rom-com throwback, but sadly adds nothing new to the genre – nor does it stack up to those ‘90s romantic comedy classics. The quirky side characters certainly don’t add anything, as they mostly come across as sitcom rejects. I’m not quite sure what the point of Steve Zahn’s neighbour character is, but it’s odd all-round. So, while Your Place or Mine doesn’t reinvent the rom-com wheel by any means, it also doesn’t do enough to justify its addition to the crowded field. But hey, Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher fans should be happy.
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
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Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.
$5.1 million