Circumstantially in Love - DVD

Movie: Jennifer Aniston has successfully made the jump from TV to the big screen, unlike her other Friends co-stars. But unfortunately, in doing so, she's too confined to a very specific character that makes it nearly impossible for her to star in any film other than romantic comedies. Circumstantially in Love is no exception. But even though not only Aniston, but really the entire production, stays in safe territory throughout without offering any real surprises, this charming comedy works surprisingly well on balance.

Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) and Wally (Jason Bateman) are best friends. But Kassie can't really imagine a relationship with the overly neurotic Wally - even though her biological clock is ticking dangerously loud. But since the single woman is desperate to have a child, she decides to use a sperm donor. But even here, Wally is out of the question. He simply doesn't stand a chance against the handsome Roland (Patrick Wilson). When Kassie's best friend Debbie (Juliette Lewis) throws a fertilization party, Wally gives free rein to his frustration and gets unrestrained drunk - with consequences, as it turns out a few years later. For when Kassie returns to New York with her young son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson) after a seven-year absence, the little rascal turns out to be conspicuously neurotic...

The story of Circumstantially in Love is extremely lacking in surprises, and quite a few gags also come to nothing. That the film nevertheless works is primarily due to the very good cast. This doesn't only mean the experienced Jennifer Aniston, but especially Jason Bateman. The former teen star (Teen Wolf 2) and otherwise on supporting roles subscribed Bateman embodies the neurotic Wally, the actual main character of the film, in such an amusing and charming way that the small weaknesses of the production are quickly forgotten.

The biggest surprise, however, is the small Thomas Robinson. Kids in US comedies are often either too precocious, or too faux-cute, that they quickly get on your nerves. But Robinson is just wonderfully cute as a miniature Monk plagued by neuroses and anxieties. Sebastian's rapprochement with Wally is so enchantingly understatedly staged that as an audience member, you just can't help but fall in love with this part of the story.

In the U.S., Circumstantially In Love has garnered scathing reviews and has also been only mildly convincing at the box office. It's not really all that understandable. Sure, a lot of the gags are stale and the story can be seen through from beginning to end. But the characters are charming, a few nice laughs (such as the fitness program of Wally's boss, played wonderfully laconic by Jeff Goldblum) has to offer the story all the time and also in terms of romance, the production can score points. So if you don't necessarily care much about originality but just want nice entertainment that lightens up your mind, you should definitely watch Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman show you how to fall in love circumstantially. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: For the genre, perfectly fine. The picture is clean, the sharpness is on a good level and the colors are mixed coherently. The audio remains largely unspectacular, with dialogue and music dominating the proceedings. Not mind-blowing, but good!

Extras: Here too, standard programming is the order of the day: a 15-minute promotional making of, a 4-minute gag reel, 23 minutes of interviews with the cast and creators, impressions from the world premiere, as well as trailers and cast info is what the disc has to offer.

Conclusion: Circumstantially In Love is a nice romantic comedy without any big surprises, but with charming actors and a few very pretty ideas. The DVD is technically on a good level, the bonus package consists mainly of promotional material and has hardly any highlights to offer. Highly recommended for lovers of the genre!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp