Paul Weitz proved his chops with About a Boy and this had a terrific topic for satire: a middle aged man (Dennis Quaid, perfectly cast) finds himself with a new boss (Topher Grace, also perfect) who is half his age... then finds the new boss pursuing his daughter (Scarlett Johannson, perfectly fine performance wise but too Scarlett Johannson to be ideally cast).
The result is disappointingly flat - the fangs are dulled, the laughs few and far, the drama tepid. It is well acted, but feels like opportunity missed: Quaid has to take out a second mortgage so that Johannson can move out of home... because she feels like it???... So she can study at NYU??? Study creative writing at NYU???
The character of Quaid's wife is under-used, ditto Grace's (Selma Blair, again playing the other woman). The film earns points for not getting Grace and Johannson and the end and for not making Grace's character a stock villain or hero. Its all intelligent, just flat.
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