So I always enjoy Steve Martin. He's not what you'd call a movie star, or a typical leading man (and that's not a bad thing). He brings a lot of fun to roles, and I always enjoy him in film.
As it was nearing Christmas at the time I saw this movie was available for free, I decided I'd go for it. Now, with movies, if one is a classic, then most people have seen it. Stuff like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", people know and love. I'll see the stuff that people regard as classic, if I haven't already, but I love doing the deep dives, and seeing what most people haven't.
Now clearly if this movie were really good, more people would talk about it, and by other reviews on here, some do really like it. Here's what I think:
Nora Epron was a good director. Not everything she directed was great ("Bewitched", yeesh.) I think what stands out in her films is the characters. That's what we remember the most. She'll get a great cast, and make some good films, but not every film made by every great director works.
The tone of this movie is a little off. It's not really that funny. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of silly stuff that's supposed to be funny, and the comedic acting from Martin was good effort, but the thing is, he can't save a picture with so many other characters. The movie doesn't really have focus. It jumps between characters, and some we may not really want to know. Some are just barely more than one note, too.
So without really funny scenes, or character development, it's really just chaos. There's a version of this movie that would work, but I think it has to go further in one direction or the other, tonally.
If you're looking for something a little outside of normal Christmas fare, and can keep expectations low, it might be worth a try, but for some people, it'll be like nails on a chalkboard. 5/10.
