Post Grad

Release Year: 2009

Director: Vicky Jenson

Review: I related to this film on a personal level and seemed to speak to my exact situation.  After doing everything right, Ryden Malby(Alexis Bledel) expected to jump right into her successful professional career after graduating from college.  Instead real life smacks her in the face and becomes, as her father(Michael Keaton) describes her as, "unhirable".  Particularly in this economy, this is a situation many recent graduates are faced with and can identify with. 

The feeling of despair and dealing with a hurt ego are dealt with well in this fairly conventional romantic comedy. Unfortunately that is exactly what this film is; just conventional.  Instead of focusing on the struggle of the grad, the film decides to slip in the comfortable zone and play by conventions.  The romantic aspect of it would be forgivable if it wasn't so painfully average in its execution.  What disappointed me the most was that it teased originality, but kept throwing in familiar scenarios and ultimately was predictable.  Furthering my frustration was the fact that most of the film focused on Ryden's family, who really didn't have anything interesting to say or have any real plot at all.  There were extended scenes thrown in that felt like were from a completely different movie, not having any impact on Ryden's character or furthering the plot in anyway.  I liked the premise, and it had all the potential to be something new and relatable, but instead is a paint-by-number romantic comedy, and one that is poorly executed at that.

Rating: 2/5