CATCH & RELEASE

"I didn't even know him..."

Gray Wheeler (Garner) was supposed to be looking forward to the happiest day of her life but inside of marrying her fiancé she is burying him. As his friends Fritz (Olyphant), Dennis (Jaeger) and Sam (Smith) gather together to remember the man they grew up with, Gray starts to make some discovers that she would have never imaged. Realising that he was not the man she thought he was and each revelation getting worse than the next, Gray finds solace in his friends as they all try and get over his death.

Can a romantic comedy spring from a tragedy? This is the question posed by 'Catch and Release' but can it work?

Debut director Susannah Grant moves from writing critical and commercial hits like 'Erin Brockovich' and '28 Days' to behind the camera to bring us a romantic comedy that tries to be more intelligence than the run of the mill but just ends up descending into melodrama.

Starting with a funeral, the movie tries to take the approach by having the lead character Gray Wheeler having the image of her perfect man shattered by a revelation that will make her think that she never knew him at all. While this might not be the most original idea or the most original way to approach it, the little story of love and regret in Boulder, Colorado is simply a nice movie and that is because of the cast.

Jennifer Garner is an actress who is just at home as an action star in 'Daredevil', 'Elektra' or in the hit TV show 'Alias', as she is playing in romantic comedies like '13 Going on 30'. Her role as Gray Wheeler gives her the chance to mix drama and romance with comedy and she rises to the occasion. She is helped along the way by three male actors providing ample support. Timothy Olyphant leads the way as Fritz, the friend who escaped Boulder to Los Angeles and returns for the funeral to be the one that Gray turns to. Sam Jaeger plays Dennis who dotes on Gray's every move. It is writer/director/actor Kevin Smith who steals the movie however, with a performance that show he is much more than Jay's silent partner in his own movies. As Sam, the fun loving, life and soul of the party, he is an extention of himself but he brings so much to the movie. Joining Jennifer and the men is a return to form by Juliette Lewis as the woman who turned Gray's fiancé's head.

With an excellent soundtrack and performances that will warm you to the slightly unoriginal story, 'Catch and Release' is a movie that won't really stay with you as the director envisaged but it is an enjoyable ride all the same.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with director Susannah Grant and Kevin Smith
In a commentary that is more a like a chat between friends or an interview, writer/director Susannah Grant is joined by a man no stranger to a commentary track and one of the stars of her film, Kevin Smith. The pair talks about the New Jersey connection between the two of them, moving from writing to directing, getting the film made and much more. This is an extremely chatty commentary that is really enjoyable to listen to.

Commentary with director Susannah Grant and cinematography John Lindley
In this more technical commentary, the pair talks about the look and feel of the movie, shooting in Boulder and how some of the shots were created. This is a good commentary but not as fun as one with Kevin Smith.

From Concept to Completion (20.28 mins)
Writer/director Susannah Grant, producer Jenna Topping and stars Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Jaeger, Juliette Lewis and Kevin Smith come together to talk about making the movie. The cast talk about getting involved with the project, the combination of dark themes and comedy and improvising during takes.

Deleted Scenes
Entitled 'Uncle John's Band' and 'Whistling is not allowed', these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of an introduction or commentary track.

Auditions
View the audience tapes for Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger and Juliette Lewis

Trailers
Previews of 'Ghost Rider', 'Open Season' and 'Casino Royal'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Catch and Release' is one that fans should enjoy. The commentary tracks are very good and the featurettes are very watchable. Fans should be very pleased.

DVD

The Last Kiss

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2007