Girlfriend's Day (2017)

Genres

Comedy | Drama

Director

Michael Stephenson

Country

USA

Cast

Bob Odenkirk, Amber Tamblyn, Rich Sommer, Toby Huss, David Sullivan, Hannah Nordberg, June Diane Raphael, Stacey Keach, Andy Richter, Larry Fessenden, Natasha Lyonne, Alex Karpovsky

Storyline

Trying to recapture the feelings that once made him the greatest greeting card writer, Ray (Bob Odenkirk) gets entangled in a web of murder and deceit as writers vie to create the perfect card for a new holiday: Girlfriend's Day.

Opinion

I watched "Girlfriend's Day" knowing nothing about it. And I did that only because it was a Netflix production - I usually love the stuff they do - and Bob Odenkirk was the lead. I haven't seen much of his work, but he totally conquered me with Saul Goodman, and he wasn't half bad in "Nebraska". That kind of built up some expectations which eventually resulted in a total let down.

This film is indeed a mess from start to finish, and the main problem is the story. It is simple and confusing at the same time, predictable and silly and it has no substance whatsoever. Moreover, it is stretched into an hour and ten minutes long film when it could have easily been told in five or ten minutes in such a less messy way.

And it could have made for a good short film too. Because, if it wasn't for the running time that seems more like it's taking a slow walk and all the useless nonsense going on, the film kind of delivers a message: we simply spend too much time and effort to find (write in this case) the perfect greeting card for a certain occasion, but we actually forget to say how we feel as if a piece of paper was more important. Which is exactly why the main's character marriage failed.

Other than that message delivered in the worst way possible, the film is blessed with Bob Odenkirk's presence. While he did a truly awful job co-writing the film, his performance as the main character is actually quite good and serious. Almost introspective I'd say.

But that's it. "Girlfriend's Day" really hasn't anything else to offer. Ultimately it is just a boring, neither funny nor dramatic film.

2 comments :

  1. Yikes, I'll probably skip this one too, even though I love Odenkirk as well.

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  2. Oh boy, what a mess! I can't say the plot sounds interesting at all, but I think I'd have given it a go for Odenkirk!

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