Despite appearances Drew Barrymore does actually dial down the cute in Going The Distance. Photo / Supplied
Rating: 3/5
Verdict: Raunchy, but still sweet and charming light entertainment.
Whether real-life sometime-couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are actually on or off, their natural, relaxed on-screen chemistry drives this romantic comedy, and even entices a few laughs.
Pitched as an edgy comedy, Going the Distance has indie film touches, but it can't stop itself from going down the predictable
mainstream romantic comedy route. The characters are smarter and more realistic than your average "good looking but unlucky-in-love" characters, and there are some amusing and frank conversations about sex, but behind the sporadic bursts of irreverent dialogue this is a formulaic and straight-forward flick.
Barrymore drops her cute routine, but retains some of her wild child attitude as Erin, a 31-year-old grad student trying to finish her journalism degree after years earlier dropping out of college to be with a now ex-boyfriend. Long too is hipper than usual as Garrett, a New York-based junior music company executive.
The two meet when Erin is working as a summer intern in New York, and immediately become inseparable. As Erin prepares to return to college in San Francisco six weeks later, they're surprised to find they have fallen in love, and as they can't find jobs in the same city decide to try a long-distance relationship.
While Erin and Garrett may be cooler than most, they're still incredibly likeable and it's easy watching them try and keep their new relationship alive with the help of webcams and air points.
There are plenty of awkward goodbyes, grappling with time differences, fake tan disasters, and phone sex, but the routine starts to drag after a while.
The rest of the cast is made up of hit and miss performances. Christina Applegate is great working alongside Barrymore as her sister Corinne, but Garrett's relationship with Erin's family is contrived and awkward, and then there's Garrett's two infuriating best friends Dan (Charlie Day) and Box (Jason Sudeikis) to endure.
The raunchy humour you normally find in director/producer Judd Apatow's more male-centric bro-mances might fool a few guys into thinking this isn't a chick flick, but despite a range of wacky dudes, indie bands or naughty words thrown into the mix that is exactly what this is. Embrace and enjoy it, as such.
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate
Director: Nanette Burstein
Running time: 102 mins Rating: R16 (drug use, sex scenes and offensive language)
- TimeOut
