clarimore Review of The Lather Effect

The Lather Effect (2006)

Very obvious and unoriginal... contains very minor spoiler.

[3/10 · 24 January 2007]

While I found this movie to be at times somewhat entertaining, I felt it lacked any sort of originality or soul. One reviewer called it "John Hughes for the 36ish crowd" which is a fairly good description, except for one thing: The reason 16 candles, pretty in pink, etc. are fun, classic movies is because they represent the actual angst-ridden, dramatic, and totally ridiculous times that is youth for most people in a way that is both easy to relate to and fun to watch. This movie, I feel just takes a bunch of older people and makes them act like teenagers as a way of "taking you back." But honestly, who still acts like they're 17 when they're in fact 36? Nobody I'd want to know or could relate to. The dialogue is neither original nor believable and the amount of things going on between this group of friends is just absurd. And the characters are just lame as well. Of course there's the wise old hippy guys who gets the hot girl in the end (by showing she's more than just a hot girl), the popular couple who haven't hashed our their real feelings all these years later, the asshole dork friend who screwed everyone over, etc. It's just so formula it's sad. But even I will partake in something so sinfully bad from time to time, so I can't say I hated it, but I really don't understand all the praise it's getting thus far. It's a good effort, but the end result lacks anything really worth watching if you're over the age of 15.