Tom Hank's Larry Crowne is the sort of decent everyman who doesn't appear in movies very much any more.
Downsized out of his job, he goes to college and falls for teacher Julia Roberts -don't we all. Meanwhile, he swaps his SUV for a moped and joins the nicest gang of bikers known to man.
The movie is the gentle hearted story of their wooing and it is really delightful. Crowne has a way of dealing with life both assertive and kind, as if every step back was just another way to move forward.
What Hanks, in directors mode, is make a fairytale to help people going through the hell of this never ending recession, a thumbs up, a smile, something to make em think hey, maybe it will get better.
On the other hand, the music kinda sucks. Who is Jeff Lynne's manager? This year, you can't throw a brick without hitting one of his songs in a movie. This time round we get two, "Hold On Tight" and "Calling America" plus Billy Squire's "The Stroke" and Tom Petty's "Hold On To her Heart".
Much better is a completely adorable Julia Roberts singing over her GPS to Gilbert And Sullivan's "I'm Called Little Buttercup" from H.M.S. Pinafore. Almost as cute as Murray the Cops version in the Odd Couple.
Movie: B+
Music: C+
Except for Julia Roberts singing Gilbert And Sullivan: A