Zach Braff has come quite a long way in the past few years. Since his debut on the series Scrubs, he has proven himself as a serious director and actor with Garden State and improved his celebrity status to the point of becoming one of television's high-earning actors. However, he has also joined the ranks of many celebrities who do what they love one minute, and a project for extra income the next. That project for Braff is The Ex. After being shelved for quite a while, and even changing titles from Fast Track, The Ex is finally seeing the light of day in theaters. While this may not be added to Braff's resume of notable work, this is still a comedy that is too hard not to enjoy.
Tom (Braff) is a big city chef who is ready to celebrate a promotion and a new infant son from his expecting wife Sofia (Amanda Peet). However, an unpredicted altercation leaves Tom without a job on the same day of his son's birth. With the new family desperately in need of income, they move to Sofia's hometown where Tom accepts a job as an ad executive for his father-in-law (Charles Grodin)'s business. Despite his feeling of misdirection that is sometimes similar to his character in Garden State, Tom accepts his role as an ad-man. This is until he encounters an obstacle in the form of a wheelchair-bound Jason Bateman.
Chip (Bateman) is Tom's new co-worker and superior who is also Sofia's ex-fling from high school. Sitting in his wheelchair with an always-straight face, Chip goes out of his way to make Tom feel insensitive or uncomfortable in the workplace while still making himself resemble a martyr. With Chip sabotaging his career, Tom goes out of his way to uncover Chip's manipulative schemes.
The Ex is one of those ho-hum films that will likely appeal to a few viewers, and then fade from the face of the planet. However, there was something throughout this film that seemed so refreshing, yet I could not put my finger on it. Then it dawned on me: The Ex is a film that does not reach for cheap gags. With comedies today relying on trite bodily fluid jokes, The Ex is an adult comedy that is actually not disgusting. While the familiar "good guy vs. ex-boyfriend" gets occasionally over-the-top, the movie still manages to glide from start to finish without acts of painful desperation.
The laughs come and go thanks to the likable cast, but Braff is hardly enough to support this comedy as the leading man. In the role of the Ben Stilleresque punching bag, he quietly plays a hapless victim until reaching a boiling point with his enemy. He then slips into a more maniacal persona by trying to get revenge on Chip, which delivers mixed results in the joke department. Jason Bateman does get credit here as the smarmy Chip. As he has proven in the series Arrested Development, Bateman is an actor who can successfully play scenes deadpan. While constantly maintaining a straight face, there is still something likable about his delivery. Perhaps it is because he doesn't hit an annoying or maniacal high. With the leading men aside, the performer deserving the most kudos is the great Charles Grodin. The long-absent actor better known for playing surly and agitated roles makes a comeback here as Tom's chipper and nurturing father-in-law. Just seeing the character actor going against his typecasting is quite a pleasure.
The Ex is one of those films that does not require deep analysis. This is not a movie that I wish to see again, but I cannot deny my enjoyment for it. The funny jokes are used sparingly, but the comedy does not fill unfunny gaps by stooping to low-brow levels. Instead it has more sweet and earnest moments. I am not giving a strong recommendation for this film, but I will make the bold statement that in this summer movie climate, I enjoyed The Ex considerably more than Spider-Man 3. If you want an escape from blockbuster spectacle, then give this comedy a shot.
Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com
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