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Just
Like Heaven (2005)
Director:
Mark Waters |
COUNTRY
USA |
GENRE
Romance/Comedy |
NORWEGIAN
TITLE
- |
RUNNING
TIME
95
minutes |
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Producer:
Laurie MacDonald
Walter F. Parkes |
Screenwriter
(based on a novel by Marc Levy):
Peter Tolan
Leslie Dixon |
Review
Conventional
in form, tone and structure, but with a little creative spark when it
comes to the basic idea which the romance is spun around. Still, this is
an American romantic comedy, for good or worse, which means that it is
inherently rooted in generic traditions that will threaten to make it
more or less unnoticeable for the seasoned viewer. Under Mark Waters'
steady but unspectacular direction, Just Like Heaven doesn't, and
never tries to, reinvent the wheel, but some might enjoy the design of
the rim. This is spun around the idea of haunting (I'll leave it at
that), and it quite playful for the better parts of Just Like
Heaven's running time. Ultimately, however, it is the warmth of the
actors that makes this vehicle the thoroughly pleasant experience that
it is. Mark Ruffalo's believable performance keeps the film grounded and
makes Reese Witherspoon's inevitably shallow display effective. And
whenever the script borderlines triteness, it is Ruffalo's everyday
quality that keeps it afloat. The final part is predictable, but
achieves the desired effect.
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