ALONG CAME POLLY

SYNOPSIS: Stiller plays Rueben, an uptight, risk assessment agent, whose wife (Messing) deserts him on their honeymoon for a more adventurous scuba guide (Azaria). When he meets Polly (Aniston), an old high school classmate, he falls head over heels for her outgoing and eccentric ways despite the embarrassment and discomfort they cause him.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s films like this that often make we wonder what the talent was thinking when they accepted the gig. Sure, everybody needs to work, but ALONG CAME POLLY is not half as romantic or funny enough for the likes of Stiller and Aniston. It’s a mediocre story made watchable due to their chemistry and likability. The face of Stiller's true love may have changed, but the comic antics are just more of the same silliness and toilet humor that one expects from his films. The script appeared to be written by a committee with Mad Libs: same old opposites-attract, boy-meets-girl tale with the weirdest quirks and most uncomfortable situations they could think of plugged in to help both of them learn to appreciate who they really are and find someon who really loves them. While some of the situations are quite funny, others like the blind ferret and Reuben’s bathroom troubles made me cringe rather than laugh. Is diarhea ever truly funny? If that's the best the writer's could do, clearly they weren't trying very hard. Why does dumb have to equal funny? As usual, Philip Seymour Hoffman provides some of the film's best moments as Reuben's cynical and obnoxious best friend. Without him, this film would be truly painful. POLLY isn't the worst film Stiller or Aniston have ever made, but I just wanted more cleverness and quallity from this comically gifted duo.