I watched this movie because I like Ben Affleck's acting - and what a pleasant surprise that the movie is so good! Luke Wilson, the quiet Wilson brother (to my mind) is the star and if that means he outshines Ben Affleck here, well, stand back!
I want to say this is a rom-com. It's not. I want to say it's a comedy. It is, but not the laugh-out-loud kind. Somewhere between comedy and artful drama is where it lies. Even to the end, the story had me guessing.
Who was the architect of impressions? The office guy with the crush on the beautiful co-worker? Or the man they met in what seemed to be a random accident on their first date? The sweet looking Denise Richards, who can twist a guy's wrist in ten seconds and hold her own in a dark dangerous parking lot? Or the handsome Luke Wilson who can't seem to plan the next move of the evening without having it bungled and then compounding that bungle?
Luke Wilson. He is eye candy of the highest order. The only flaw in this film, other than a somewhat slow plodding beginning to the action, is making Wilson the shy guy when anyone that handsome would command a room - all eyes on him. He's a leading man who seems to never have used his good looks to build a career, talent aside. He has the talent. It's almost a great distraction that he's so damned sexy!
This is really a gem of a movie. Quiet but terrific, with plot and dialogue and acting better than most of what you see in low-budget films today. This had to be low-budget, but there are stars galore. Aside from Affleck, there is Melissa McCarthy, Lauren Graham in a cameo, Matt Damon, Jeff Garlin, and Diana Maria Riva. Most of the movie takes place on a date, in a car, or on the street. Simple. Effective. Good.