Braff and Bateman in The Ex
Actors Try Their Hardest in Comedy Now on DVD
Disjointed story, undeveloped characters hold back the talented cast of "The Ex."
In The Ex, nice guy Tom Reilly (Zach Braff) has a reputation for standing up for what’s right even if it means losing his job over it. Therefore, Tom has a history of losing jobs. When his wife Sofia (Amanda Peet) has a baby and leaves her lucrative law career to be a stay-at-home-mom, Tom decides it’s time to take his career seriously.
The Fast Track to Success
He takes the fast track (the original film title, by the way) to success by accepting a position at the new-age advertising agency where his father-in-law (Charles Grodin) works. Unfortunately for Tom, also working at the agency is Chip (Jason Bateman), a wheelchair-bound bully who used to date Sofia in high school. As Tom’s supervisor, Chip relishes any chance to degrade his new protégé and steal back his old flame.
For an important advertising campaign, Tom hopes to impress his new co-workers with the quirky eating habits of a little neighborhood boy who befriends his wife. Although his idea seems to initially solve all his problems, his little coup merely propels Chip into high-gear efforts to knock Tom off the fast track.
Nearly every scene with Braff and Bateman is funny, or at least has the potential to be. Other characters, however, are neglected and viewers need to guess at their motivations. Supporting roles by the talented actresses Amy Poehler as a frazzled co-worker and Amy Adams as a judgmental new mom seem tacked on at the last minute, as do other characters and scenes that don’t quite hit the comedic mark.
DVD Bonus Features
Included on the DVD (Blockbuster exclusive bonus footage) are deleted scenes, alternate endings, a blooper reel, and the theatrical trailer. The extensive list of deleted scenes tells quite a tale: Most of Poehler’s scenes and virtually all of Mia Farrow’s scenes as Tom’s mother-in-law were cut from the final version, leaving shallow, undeveloped characters and a choppy story to grace the screens at the local Cineplex. Although these deleted scenes help fill out the story a little, they add nothing in terms of humor.
Other brief deleted scenes were comical, but apparently cut in the interest of time. The alternate endings don’t generate much interest, but an alternate beginning packs more comic punch than the beginning chosen for the film. The blooper reel is mostly what one would expect from comic actors flubbing lines.
- The Ex
- Director: Jesse Peretz
- Run time: 89 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, brief language and a drug reference)
For more DVD reviews of comedy movies, read Blades of Glory, License to Wed, and Superbad.
