The Switch Review
Review by Denverpost
“The Switch” begins with the sort of promise that might as well be taken as a warning.
A narrator riffs on timing, in particular, romantic timing. There are very few instances of true synchronicity, he muses. Most of us make our way to each other by a series of odd collisions and tender compromises. It’s a nicely glum and self-aware preamble to arguably one of the most beleaguered genres, the romantic comedy.
The voice — ruminating as images of affection and quiet alienation, New York-style, play across the screen — belongs to Wally, portrayed by Jason Bateman, who so often has his nimble way with dialogue.
Alas, Wally’s observations about timing also provide a key to something bedeviling “The Switch.” The comedy itself suffers from awkward scheduling. Though this isn’t its only wrinkle.
Jennifer Aniston portrays Kassie. Her biological clock is ticking, but, as she reports over a meal with best friend Wally, her “cervical mucous” is still good. (The film is rated PG-13, so this is about as risque as it gets, not counting the moment when the maneuver of the title takes place.)
Though single and without immediate prospects for a husband, Kassie has a chance to become pregnant with donor sperm.
Review by detnews
Jason Bateman deserves better.
That’s the first thing that surfaces after seeing “The Switch.” It’s not a bad film, really, just sort of average. But Bateman is so good in it — natural, funny, yet full of real emotion — that you immediately want to see him again in a better film. Somebody give this guy a shot at an Oscar.
This certainly isn’t that shot, although it is Bateman’s movie all the way. Jennifer Aniston has top billing, but that’s just because she’s Jennifer Aniston, America’s onetime sweetheart. And she’s fine. But it’s Bateman’s film, and he almost pulls it off despite too many plot contrivances.
He plays Wally, a somewhat cynical and neurotic but essentially good financial analyst in New York City. His best friend is Kassie (Aniston), a TV producer. He has a thing for her but has settled for a long-term friendship
Review by The Washington Post
The good news about “The Switch” is that it lives up to its title. Baiting customers with an ad campaign that makes it look like yet another piece of pregnancy-themed Hollywood product, this disarmingly winning comedy instead turns into a warm, quirkily observant film, strengthened by some appealing performances and a low-key, easygoing vibe. Less reminiscent of the dreadful comedy “The Back-Up Plan” than 2002′s lovely “About a Boy,” this adaptation of a Jeffrey Eugenides story takes viewers down a path that, while by no means of least resistance, possesses a gratifying share of surprises.
The biggest among them is focus. “The Switch” stars Jennifer Aniston as 40-year-old Kassie, a single woman who decides to conceive a child by way of a sperm donor. Her best friend, Wally (Jason Bateman) looks on disapprovingly, offering little by way of moral support and much by way of neurotic, self-involved commentary. (It’s a measure of how close they are that within the first few minutes of “The Switch” they’re talking about his scrotum and her cervical mucus.)
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