The Switch Review

Posted by Tony Farinella on 08.25.2010

Is it possible to switch and get a different movie?


If there is an original moment in The Switch, I can’t find it. If you have read the synopsis for this film or viewed the trailer, you probably have an idea of what to expect and how it’s going to end. It’s connect the dots screenwriting at its worst. The poster might advertise the film as “from the producers of Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, but, trust me, this film shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as those films. While the cast is interesting and different, they don’t have any real material to work with in this film. This marks yet another bad career choice by Jennifer Aniston, who really needs a new agent. She’s a likable personality, but she is stuck in these bland romantic comedies that camouflage her talents.

The film opens up with a voice over from Wally Mars (Jason Bateman), explaining to us that life is fast paced and they call it the human race for a reason. Sometimes life works out for us, but most of the time, we are not as happy we should be and we fool ourselves into believing otherwise. He is meeting Kassie Larson (Jennifer Aniston) for lunch, where she promptly and impulsively announces that she wants to get pregnant. She explains this by using a chart about the stock market and how once a woman reaches forty, her chances of having a child go down, much like the stock market. Wally is insulted that he is not considered for this task and feels as though his sperm is just as good as anyone else’s.

She throws a party to celebrate her plans, which Wally begrudgingly attends. While there, he meets her semen donor in Roland, played by Patrick Wilson. Roland smiles a lot, flashes his teeth, and is also happily married at the start of the film. Needless to say, Wally, being the cynic that he is, hates everything about Roland. After having one too many drinks, Wally ends up in the bathroom with the sperm that was donated by Roland. He ends up spilling the sperm and replaces it with his, after using Diane Sawyer as motivation. We then fast forward a few years later and find out that Kassie’s son looks and sounds an awful lot like Wally. He’s paranoid, neurotic, and quirky. Meanwhile, Kassie starts to have feelings for the newly divorced Roland.

Needless to say, The Switch relies on confusion and misunderstandings to further its non-existent plot. It’s one of those movies where everything could be cleared up with a simple five minute conversation, but instead the characters just keep avoiding each other or never find the right time to talk to each other. It also tries to make us believe that Jennifer Aniston would have a hard time finding a donor. This is Jennifer Aniston, people. She’s smart, funny, and gorgeous. Guys would be lined up outside her door to donate their sperm, among other things. I don’t know why she keeps playing these lovable losers. They don’t suit her at all. She really needs to find a movie that is less Hollywood and more independent. It would really push her career into a whole new direction.

Jeff Goldblum also shows up as Wally’s friend, who is always there for him when he shows up to his house drunk at four in the morning. This is really a nothing role for Goldblum, who tries to make it funny, but the words that he’s forced to read don’t do him justice. He’s a very weird guy, and I mean that in a good way. This character could have been so much more, but instead his only unique trait is the fact that he chews loudly. Juliette Lewis has her moments, but they are few and far between. Thomas Robinson, who plays Sebastian, their child, gives one of the better performances by a child actor. He is a natural and works well with Jason Bateman. Those scenes work and work quite well. The problem is everything leading up to those scenes is bland and predictable.

I can’t help but feel like there could have been a good movie here somewhere. The cast is more than capable, and the premise is somewhat interesting and could have provided some comical gags, but the writing really holds everything back. We are supposed to believe that Bateman and Aniston have been friends for thirteen years and have never dated each other? It’s clear from the get go that they are made for each other. It’s just absurd. The fact they expect us to buy this is absurd. A lot of what happens in this movie is absurd. Yes, I used the word absurd three times, but it applies to this movie and what they are asking out for us. Nothing feels organic or natural in this film. It’s a really a shame that they wasted so much talent on such a mediocre project.

The 411: The Switch has individual moments that are effective, such as the scenes with Bateman and Robinson and Patrick Wilson hamming it up with this character. Nothing really stays with you after it’s over, though, and you feel as though you were just waiting for the inevitable to unfold. Jennifer Aniston needs a complete career makeover, as her career is running on empty at this point. If you are bored and this movie is on cable, I could see watching it. There’s no need to see this movie on the big screen or waste any money on it. It’s predictable fare from start to finish.

Final Score:  5.0   [ Not So Good ]