The Rebound 愛情逆轉勝

When sexy 40-year-old Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) finds out that her husband Frank (Sam Robards) is cheating, she moves out of their suburban home to New York City with her two kids.

In the city, 25-year-old Aram Finklestein (Justin Bartha) is in quite a depressed state: He has just been divorced by a French girl who married him two weeks ago just to get a green card. Meanwhile, Sandy is looking for a new place to stay. Then the two meet: Aram works in a coffee shop under the apartment she decides to rent.

In addition to showing them around the loft, Aram's friend Mitch (Rob Kerkovich) cleverly offers Aram's services as a babysitter to Sandy, should she ever have the need. Sandy takes them up on that offer when her friend Daphne (Kate Jennings Grant) sets her up on a blind date. While this is the part that brings a bit of comedy, some viewers might find it a tad gross.

More comedy comes in the form of the two kids, Sadie (Eliza Callahan) and Frank Jr. (Andrew Cherry), who pass funny but sharp remarks throughout the film. It is interesting that Aram seems to have better chemistry with them than with Sandy. He becomes their regular nanny when Sandy finds a job, and he even gives up other better job offers.

Of course, Aram and Sandy fall in love, but will the 15-year age gap be too much of an obstacle? Aram's parents don't seem to like the idea. The theme of an older woman-dating-a-younger man has been used many times before, most recently in “The Proposal.” Here it embraces also the theme of post-divorce depression ­— not only in the woman, but also in the man.

The difficulties single moms face in starting a new life after a breakup would seem familiar to many women these days. Building the courage to speak up and find oneself in the end will help to bring back the meaning in life.

Writer and Director Bart Freundlich has tried to make this an honest and believable story, without the pretentious feel of the usual Hollywood flicks of this genre. There is some beautiful scenery and music as Aram travels around the world to discover himself. It is a feel-good date movie if you just want to go and relax, watch something without having to think, though there is no new development, excitement or suspense here.

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