Plus ça change...

Scott Hardie | August 5, 2011
When I first saw the poster for The Change-Up, it sounded like a reasonable idea for a movie: Bachelor and new daddy discuss each others' lives and think the grass is greener on the other side, then agree to trade places for a while, then learn something about life after hi-jinks ensue. Then I learned that it's actually another body swap comedy, in which they literally wake up in each others' bodies because of magical blah-blah. Which is sadder about Hollywood today: That "magical body swap" is now a more plausible premise than merely "they agree to trade places," or that in a sea of licensed properties, sequels, and remakes, yet another body-swap comedy actually qualifies as one of the most original mainstream films of the season?

Elsewhere, the just barely opened Bellflower looks pretty intriguing, if you trust that it's criticizing violent misogyny instead of endorsing it.