The Ex (2007 film)

Infobox Film
name = The Ex


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Jesse Peretz
producer = Anthony Bregman Marc Butan Anne Carey Ted Hope
writer = David Guion Michael Handelman
narrator =
starring = Zach Braff Amanda Peet Jason Bateman Charles Grodin Mia Farrow Donal Logue Amy Poehler Amy Adams Fred Armisen
music = Ed Shearmur
cinematography = Tom Richmond
editing = Tricia Cooke
distributor = The Weinstein Company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = May 11, 2007
runtime =
country = United States
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.theexmovie.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0458364

"The Ex" is a 2007 comedy film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Zach Braff, Amanda Peet and Jason Bateman. The film had a wide release planned for January 19, 2007, and then March 9, 2007. It was originally promoted under the working title "Fast Track". It was released on May 11, 2007. Co-stars include Charles Grodin, Donal Logue and Mia Farrow.

Plot

In Manhattan, Sofia is an attorney, and Tom is a cook who has a hard time holding a job. When their first child is born, they agree that she'll be a full-time mom and he'll get a promotion. When he gets fired, he takes a job in Ohio working at the ad agency where her father is assistant director. Tom's assigned to report to Chip, a competitive, hard-driving guy who's in a wheelchair and who's Sofia's ex-boyfriend - from high school. Chip still carries a torch for her, so he connives to make Tom's work life miserable. As Tom's frustrations mount, it may be that Sofia will take Chip's side. Is Tom doomed to fail yet again, and lose his wife to Chip?

Cast

*Zach Braff - Tom Reilly
*Amanda Peet - Sofia Kowalski-Reilly
*Jason Bateman - Chip Sanders
*Charles Grodin - Bob Kowalski
*Mia Farrow - Amelia Kowalski
*Lucian Maisel - Wesley
*Amy Poehler - Carol Lane
*Paul Rudd - Leon
*Fred Armisen - Manny
*Donal Logue - Don Wollebin
*Amy Adams - Abby March
*Josh Charles - Forrest Mead
*Marin Hinkle - Karen

Reception

As of September 1, 2007 on Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 92 reviews (18 "fresh", 74 "rotten). [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_ex/ The Ex - Rotten Tomatoes] . Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-09-01] On Metacritic, the film was listed under its previous title "Fast Track" and had no average score because only 2 reviews had been tabulated. [ [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/fasttrack Fast Track (2006): Reviews] . Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-09-01]

Several film critics said the film felt truncated. [cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Calendar/Film?Film=oid%3a472742 |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Steve Davis |date=2007-05-18 |publisher=The Austin Chronicle] cite web|url=http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=598185&mp=r |title='The Ex' Falls Flat |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Christy Lemire |publisher=MSN Movies via Associated Press] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post said the film "seems arbitrarily edited to squeeze in extra screenings before it's killed by word-of-mouth."cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05112007/entertainment/movies/weinstein_flick_ex_cruciating_movies_lou_lumenick.htm |title=WEINSTEIN FLICK EX-CRUCIATING |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Lou Lumenick |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=New York Post] Film critics also felt that the majority of the cast's talents were wasted.cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=9175 |title=Bottom Line: Jason Bateman's a blast, but this slack comedy's a bust. |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Michael Rechtshaffen |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter] cite web|url=http://deseretnews.com/movies/view/1,1257,450000908,00.html |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Jeff Vice |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=Deseret Morning News] [cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/61584 |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Nathan Rabin |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=AV Club] Many film critics also compared the film to a sitcom.cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/movies/orl-db-moviereviews-searchresults,0,3279701,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt+cdb_05_txt+cdb_06_txt+cdb_07_txt+cdb_08_txt+cdb_09_txt+cdb_10_txt+cdb_11_txt+cdb_12_txt+cdb_13_txt+cdb_15_txt+cdb_14_txt+cdb_16_txt+cdb_17_txt+cdb_18_txt+cdb_19_txt+cdb_20_txt+cdb_21_txt+cdb_22_txt+cdb_23_txt+cdb_24_txt+cdb_25_txt+cdb_26_txt&PageSize=1&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&Query=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_01_txt=The%20Ex&Find+it%21=Submit+Query |title='Ex,' why, Z:Braff breaks no comedy ground |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Roger Moore |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=Orlando Sentinel] [cite web|url=http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews.aspx?p_id=12904 |title=The Ex Movie Review and Rating |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Pete Hammond |publisher=Maxim] [cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20070511.wex11%2FBNStory%2FEntertainment%2Fhome&ord=2898387&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Rick Groen |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=The Globe and Mail] Pam Grady of Reel.com said the film "never rises above the level of a TV show grotesquely inflated for the big screen." " [cite web|url=http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=142880&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13#tabs|title=The Ex (2006) |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Pam Grady |publisher=Reel.com]

Jesse Peretz was criticized for his direction by many critics. [cite web|url=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-070511-movies-review-ex,0,7395317.story |title=Movie review: 'The Ex' |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Michael Phillips |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=Chicago Tribune at Metromix.com] cite web|url=http://www.film-finder.com/review.asp?ID=56088 |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Sean Means |publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune] cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/movies/20070511_Workplace_comedy_about_as_funny_as_______work.html |title=Workplace comedy about as funny as...work |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Steven Rea |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer] Phoebe Flowers of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel said the film was "directed with a breathtaking lack of instinct by Jesse Peretz." [cite web|url=http://www.southflorida.com/movies/sfl-shexmay11,0,4183795.story?coll=sfe-movies-promo |title=Save yourself heartache and skip this relationship |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Phoebe Flowers |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=South Florida Sun-Sentinel] A few critics described the film as half-baked.cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/newyork/article/3298/the-ex |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Tom Beer |date=May 17, 2007 - May 23, 2007 |publisher=Time Out New York] Sean Means of The Salt Lake Tribune said "It's like undercooked lasagna: lots of layers, but the flavors never blend." Bill Muller of The Arizona Republic said the film was Zach Braff's most average movie so far. [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0511ex0511.html |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Bill Muller |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=The Arizona Republic] Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer said that after "The Last Kiss" and "Garden State", "Braff's shtick...is getting tired." Desson Thomson of The Washington Post said the film "marks an all-time low for actor Zach Braff -- his "Gigli", if you will.." [cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/profile&id=1132437&categories=Movies&nm=1 |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Desson Thomson |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=The Washington Post]

Zach Braff and Jason Bateman were praised for their performances by several critics. [cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/378936,WKP-News-ex11.article |title='Ex' marks the spot for fish-out-of-water humor |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Bill Zwecker |date=2007-05-11 |publisher=Chicago Sun-Times] [cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/movies/e_reviews/index.jsp?uuid=bae6effc-659a-400d-8538-5743744ccdf3 |title=The Ex |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=Caroline Kepnes |publisher=E! Online] Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel said "Braff and Bateman make this patchwork just funny enough to be worth our trouble." Jason Bateman was praised by several film critics as being the best part of the movie. David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews said "there's little doubt that Bateman deserves the lion's share of praise thanks to his scene-stealing work as Tom's hilariously smug nemesis." [cite web|url=http://www.reelfilm.com/weincom1.htm#ex |title=Two Comedies from The Weinstein Company |accessdate=2007-09-01 |author=David Nusair |date=2007-05-09 |publisher=Reel Film Reviews]

Box office performance

The film opened at #12 at the U.S. box office, earning $1.39 million in 1,009 theaters in its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $3,092,904 in its nine-week theatrical run in the United States. [ [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=ex.htm The Ex (2007) - Weekend Box Office] . Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-09-01]

References

External links

* [http://www.theexmovie.com/ Official website]
*imdb title|id=0458364|title=The Ex
*rotten-tomatoes|id=the_ex|title=The Ex
*metacritic film|id=fasttrack|title=The Ex
*mojo title|id=ex|title=The Ex
*amg movie|id=1:328935|title=The Ex