The draw for me, to this movie, was Karen Gillian and Jennifer Morrison and the promise of some light romance. Both actresses gave good performances (Jennifer Morrison is a great romantic foil and Karen Gillian was characteristically goofy). What let me down was the writing. The premise was simple, although its implications were entirely predictable, but the path to it was long and arduous. There needed to be more meat inbetween: more depth in the character arcs, more humour, more meaning in the journey. It ended up being boring and lacklustre. I give this film a 4 (poor) out of 10. {Romance}
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nancyldraper18 October 2019
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svenjergensen13 September 2017I'm a bit torn on this film and I really hope this review doesn't skew too negative. At the end of the day it's a comedy, and a comedy should make you laugh. And it did! I laughed plenty throughout the film. Most of the jokes were pretty good, and if that's all you're looking for, then THE LIST delivers.
My main problem is the story itself and the structure of the film. I really feel like the story meanders and doesn't have any real focus. For example; when Alex first gets the list he reacts rather poorly (as any reasonable person does) and by the end of the film, he decided not to go through with the marriage. Did he change? Did his character evolve? Not from what I can tell, and it made me feel pretty jipped. It's like I followed a character for 90 minutes and he ended nearly exactly where he began.
Also, it desperately needs an editor to take another look at it. After Alex gets the list the next 5 or so scenes are all just him asking people what he should do. It's repetitive and no new information is revealed. Even the subplot of the Russian girl doesn't work: if she was cut entirely from the film literally nothing would have changed. They introduce her as some sort of relationship obstacle, but she never proves to be anything more than a minor annoyance.
Overall it's a fun film and Karen Gillian has a really great sincere moment that shows she can bring a lot of emotion, even to a goofy rom-com. I really wanted to like this movie more, but there are so many gaping plot holes and jumps in logic that prevent it from shining. -
pkpera7 May 2018Funny moments were really rare, same is with dialogs. Since it is described in storyline, and visible well on movie poster, I will not spoil if say that only reasonable reaction, what can normal man do when gets such list is rejection, even break. What is done actually, but after it we have more than 1 hour of pretty much surreal human behavior and even characters. That pseudo Italian guy - come on. There is no parent who wanted such idiot for his daughter. Acting was actually good. Karen Gillan is now on top, it's sure. But not sure she will be proud with this movie. Actually, her character was only one, what could be considered as realistic, normal human behaving, despite was presented as some quirky one. Irony ? Indeed, there was some irony in all this. The reason for low ratings is in story, bleak main character, and for sure in some plot holes. And mostly because the ending. First stage of ending was little over top. Not romance at all. Then very-very finale ... Hmm that reminded me on movie with Diane Lane and those four legged creatures :-) Yes, happiness has different ways, money is certainly not it, nor white toots. Writers were happy with what they done, I guess. Most of people not, it seems. This was better watchable than my rating of 4 suggests. But I was really disappointed by story development and ending - no, it is not unhappy ending, just to say it. What genre was it, really ? "You, the viewer have too much time, and you are not much smart. We did good job teaching and amusing you." Actors and we deserve better.
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cazmor3 March 2019As a fan of both Jennifer Morrison and Karen Gillan this a serious let down, filled with never ending cliches it is slow and mostly awkward.
The script is predicatable and maddening in its slow pace, Gillan manages to outperform her character, Morrison seems lost where Fugit seems resigned to playing Alex a character of such low intelligence it's a wonder he knows which side of the bed to get out of.
The comedy is so light it misses almost every mark, with many of the scenes merely cringe worthy.
Without the performance of Gillan and small glimpses of the Morrison we love, it is hard to sit through the film in it's entirety. -
luvmymikee15 December 2020This movie should NOT be rated PG! The amount of F words alone should rate it PG13(I didn't count, but there were ar least 10), but then there's a very explicit sex scene. I couldn't tell if Karen Gillian and Aaron Staton were supposed to be speaking with an accent or if their American accent was just that bad. Overall, a very disappointing movie.
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lavatch11 August 2018The premise of this film is that Alex, the man who works wonders with dogs, is deeply in love with the appropriately named Katherine Stern, who is allergic to dogs. But the main problem is that there never appears to be any chemistry between the two characters. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. The Empty Set.
Early in the film, Katherine presents to Alex a typewritten list of things that she wants him to change about himself, in order to further their relationship. A number of the points are extremely trivial, such as "drive a German car" or "get your teeth whitened." Alex first takes a stand and says that he will not comply with her requests. But he then changes his mind when he senses that another man is pursuing Katherine. Out of jealously, he decides to complete the various steps of the list.
The most interesting of Katherine's demands is that Alex convert to Judaism. There was some good advice given to Alex by the wise rabbi who becomes his mentor. The main concept was that of the soul mate, or "bashert." The rabbi also stresses that the list should only be a starting point in a relationship.
Alex goes through the conversion process, including mikveh (immersion) and circumcision. He also gets his teeth whitened, learns about sports, samples liqueurs, and examines a Porsche. But the most important words of the rabbi, "You must live an authentic life" seem to be lost on both Alex and Katherine.
This film was muddied in its goals and styles. On the surface, it appeared to be a comedy. But the preposterous idea of the list was taken so seriously by the characters that it turned into a drama. Throughout the film, the woman who appeared to be the true soul mate of Alex was Katherine's best friend Lily, the person who gave her the idea for "the list" in the first place! -
paulspray22 July 2018I wouldn't describe this movie as a romantic comedy. It's more of an interesting romantic tale with humorous interludes. Worth watching, although it is a bit slow in places.
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welsh_chick-6791014 September 2018I will be honest, i only watched this film for Jennifer morrison and even she couldn't save my interest from declining from this film. First they could have cut this film to 90 mins easy, it was way to long. How this film can be classed as rom com is beyond me. I think i laughed twice and romance what romance!!! Save yr time on this one and don't bother!! Even if yr a big fan of any of the actors... its not worth it!
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AhmedMw218 January 2019I am not big fan of romantic comedy movies but i gave this movie a try bc i love jennifer morrison i kept low expectations but surprisingly i found this movie fun and entertaining . The acting was good . The writing was decent . was fun !
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donwan4726 August 2019I've seen some in my time but this movie is so bad my thesaurus called in sick due to overwork. I can't point to a single redeeming feature, awful characters, played by actors who are capable of better, awful soundtrack, awful plot, The whole concept is offensive to the rational mind, a woman gives her boyfriend a list of ten things he must do in order to keep dating her. Let's switch the genders and see how that works out. It's a god damned mess.
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jasonmilesinc24 February 2021This movie is far better than its average rating. There are many hilarious lines and scenes. It's solidly written comedy with likable characters. I've seen far worse romcoms that deserve a 4.6 average. Shocked this one doesn't average out to a 6.4. Very strange bc i usually agree with the imdb averages. Anyway, it's slow in places and the music could improve but the story and scenes are all there. Cut out the best friend's child from the whole story- but I see what the writer was trying to do there. Michael Nouri is the perfect rabbi and it's wild to see Bob Gunton not play someone evil. I have a feeling the audience wanted the two "best friends" to get together, but that would be a whole other movie, an unoriginal one. This one is way more original.
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kevcoe13 July 2018Let's get this straight right from the start... this is not a classic. To be honest, I only watched it because I'm a fan of Karen Gillan. It's a romantic comedy that isn't terribly funny.... the first half hour had me constantly thinking 'should I stop watching, this isn't a very good movie...'
But, oddly, the second half of the movie got a lot better. NO SPOILERS! Certain characters became a lot more interesting, there were a few more laughs and a few bits were actually somewhat moving! And what I thought would be the 'obvious ending' didn't happen at all!
This isn't a 'must watch' but if you're feeling a bit undemanding one night, this might fit the bill. -
SnoopyStyle11 September 2018Alex (Patrick Fugit) is an affable simple dog walker and dog whisperer. With no family to speak of, former girlfriend Lily (Karen Gillan) is his best friend although her husband Michael and others see him as childlike. His girlfriend Katherine Stern (Jennifer Morrison) loves him but is conflicted. She gives him a list of improvements for their future relationship. Dave (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is his immature friend. Despite everybody's suggestion, he still refuses to do the list until her disapproving father brings in hot optometrist Dr. Antonio Rosenblatt for her brother's Gary's upcoming wedding.
The list is aggressive but the reaction is psycho. She may be high maintenance but he's a serial killer. I love Fugit but he's best at the darker roles. I also love Morrison but she's high intensity. This movie is trying to be a screwball rom-com and mostly fails in spectacular fashion. There are three women in his life and Katherine is the least likeable. She has the worst chemistry with him. The two actors are not good comedic material. Gillan has the comedic chops but her romantic possibility is written off right from the start. The odd thing is that Alex and Katherine are not a completely bad couple at the beginning. It's a slow roll to get to that point. That build to hate her is a build to hating this movie. It's a frustrating grind to watch this romance. By the end of the relationship, I almost reveled in its audacity to make an anti-romance. Then it even screws that up by injecting another girl to force a romantic ending. The only comedic moment that sorta worked is the teeth whitening. That list of white colors is so stupid that I had to chuckle. In the broadest strokes, this is 500 Days. It's just done in the most infuriating way. -
yasmin81031 January 2019The pacing is terrible, that's why the jokes (if any) don't work.... Too long... could have been good...
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apercival1002 January 2021Watched because of Karen Gillan and gave up with an hour and 15 minutes left. So slow. I thought I was watching in half speed. The premise is good, but as soon as the list comes out it would have been end of relationship, bye bye. Karen Gillan's ancient speech about how men want women to be would be out of place in any modern film unless ot was set in the 60s.
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Alex and the List
The best way to summarize the script is that it has to be one of the worst scripts ever made into a movie. It is completely formulaic, composed of a conglomeration of innumerable disjointed scenes that were supposed to be funny by themselves, which together comprise a very bad movie. I'd much rather watch one of the 100 Hallmark movies about cooks who fall in love than this film!
The male lead who is supposed to be a nice dog walker turns out to be one of the lowest energy human beings that you could ever run into anywhere on this planet. Again, not in a very funny "The Office" (the movie) sort of way. His affect is that a dedicated pot smoker who walks through life completely stoned. To top it off, he is unable to make any decision by himself. He often seeks out guidance from a highly unlikely source of wisdom.
The script is an insult to Michael Nouris's talent. He actually says some reasonable things (despite needing to work more on the consistency of his accent) as the "film's rabbi," which are immersed into the surrounding inane scenes.
Jennifer Morrison who plays Katherine is a very decent actor as is the dog walker's best friend, played by Karen Gillan. Gillan is a great actress. To shine in the middle of a mess of a script is not easy.
Katherine's father is played by Bob Gunton who is a normally a very good character actor playing a horrible role depicting a complete idiot of a father, and not in a humorous way. Thinking about his role now, I feel very sorry for the actor. It must've been a painful job.
The character who is supposed to be challenging the dog walker for Katherine's hand is yet another stereotype. I assume the actor with the role can't act, but that might be unfair, because his part was so ridiculous. The way he keeps showing up is annoying and unrealistic. One would have to assume that Katherine was braindead or emotionally crippled enough to allow that to happen. The trouble is, she's not. It doesn't fit her character.
Katherine's final ask of her to-be-fiancé is ridiculous given what we know about him...
The most important scene near the end is beyond ridiculous. What is very sad is that it was supposed to be funny, and it wasn't funny at all. Loose ends are tied up in an absurd way. At this point you might want to throw something at your screen, but you won't because you realize there are good writers out there who will bring you better movies!
The very last scene is a cute little bow the writer tied, and you will once again want to yell at your screen as a warning to the last person to appear in the cast.
I apologize to the writer if this hurts your feelings, but you really should not have tried to sell this film. You should have taken it as a starting point to write something much better.
I would've given this movie a one or a two which would be stretching it if it weren't for the acting. The actors don't deserve a two.
Or maybe they should've just refused to take the role. I realize that working is sometimes prioritized over quality. I can understand that but it leads to a lot of lousy movies being made.
In fact, I would suggest to IMDb that they separate the script score from the acting score, and have an overall score for the movie. This could be optional. If the script is very good and the actors are very good then you only need one score.
PS For parents, there is a very graphically depicted sex scene despite the presence of panties on the woman involved who plays yet another horrific role - badly. The man is naked beneath her. It should've been rated R for that alone. Those who are offended by graphic sex should not be subjected to that scene... -
theangelo21 September 2018I am a fan of this actress looks and that's why I wanted to see the movie. However her looks are the only good thing about it. The dialogues are horrible and very slow. I was not able to finish it.
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writeguyr26 July 2018Here we go again with the homely nerd dating the gorgeous female in the film. This time it is Patrick Fugit as the nerdy Alex dating Katherine played by the very gorgeous Jennifer Morrison. These kind of films should be classified as fantasy films, not romantic comedies. Come on Hollywood!! There is no way on this Earth that a drop dead gorgeous woman like Katherine would ever date a nerdy guy like Alex! In all of my years going to sporting events at auditoriums at theaters on the streets. I have never seen a nerdy looking guy like Alex walking hand in hand with a beautiful woman like Katherine. The only exception would be if the nerdy guy is very rich and or famous. Now the other factor in this film, Alex has a low paying job as a dog trainer and walker, a job that has no future. WHY would a beautiful woman like Katherine even think of having a relationship with a nerdy guy like Alex?!! Makes no sense!!
But Hollywood drums up these redundant fantasy films. Like "Revenge of the Nerds" and its sequel films, where the nerds all win the beautiful girls in the films. And the most ridiculous film "Knocked Up" where a fatter and nerdy looking goofy looking Seth Rogen's character has sex with an amazing fantastic gorgeous looking Katherine Heigl's character and he gets her pregnant.?!! The redundant premise of this film story is that Heigl's character can't get a date because she is thirty something, and all the guys at a disco club don't want to ask her for a date or dance because they are young twenty year old pups. That is sooooo STUPID!!!! So she is desperate and dances and goes home with a fat ugly Seth Rogen's character. Has sex with him a and gets pregnant. That is soooo unreal!!
Katherine in "Alex and the List" Has the chance to date and marry a rich handsome Italian man, yet she chooses the nerdy Alex over him?!!??!! Katherine gives Alex a list of changes that he must do in order for him to look better to be by her side and then marry her. The list contains things like for him to whiten his teeth, convert to the Jewish faith that she is. Get interested in sports so her father will like him better. Ahhhhh why didn't Katherine put on the top of list for Alex to have plastic surgery done on his nerdy face?!! But she just puts on the list whiten your teeth? Also on the list should have been. Alex you bum get a better high paying job if you want to date me Dude!!!