Larry Crowne

15 years after his directorial debut That Thing you do, Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks has once again ventured into the dual role of actor and director with Larry Crowne. The comedy, which reunites Hanks with his The War of Charlie Wilson partner Julia Roberts in front of the camera, deals with a subject that isn't really amusing, but Hanks does it in such a playful and endearingly naive way that, for all its flaws, you can't help but like his second directorial effort.

Larry Crowne (Hanks), manager of a supermarket chain, is a true model employee. Always on time, always friendly and dedicated, Larry has earned the title of employee of the month several times. But then he is fired from one day to the next - allegedly because he can't show that he has a degree. The sudden unemployment throws Larry completely off track. But he doesn't get discouraged that easily. Instead of drowning in self-pity, the man in his late forties decides to go back to school and catch up on his studies. The contacts with his classmates, the new ideas he gets in class and especially his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts) give Larry's life a whole new swing. But is this enough to really be able to look positively into the future?

Together with Nia Vardalos, star of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which he produced, Tom Hanks has written a charming social comedy that he directs with a light hand. This light-heartedness could well be held against him in the face of ever-increasing unemployment, especially in the USA. Because Larry Crowne really has little in common with reality. Despite the economic misery there are actually only good people around Larry, conflicts are solved too easily and the message of the story seems a bit naive. But these would only be justified points of criticism if Tom Hanks had wanted to direct a realistic social drama or if he had tried to approach the topic in a satirical way. But that's not the case. From the first minute, it is clear that Hanks wanted to make a light comedy, whose only goal should be to entertain the audience well for almost 90 minutes and, in the best case, to release them into reality with a satisfied smile.

And judged from that standpoint, Larry Crowne has turned out to be a fine and occasionally very funny film. The cast, while not acting at Oscar level, are filled with obvious good humor and charisma that radiates comfortably off the screen. It's nice to see such a light-hearted, easy-going Tom Hanks again. He and Julia Roberts have great chemistry, even if the finale feels a bit cramped. But the way there is full of nice moments, amusing dialogues and lovable characters.

Admittedly, some of the gags feel a bit forced and the moments that are supposed to be dramatic or even touching only work to an extent. But on balance, the positives outweigh the negatives. Larry Crowne is a small, charming cinema fairy tale, which can convince with likeable actors, a touch of romance and restrained comedy. Those who see a game of reality in the cinema will certainly be disappointed. However, if you want to escape reality by punching a movie ticket and simply be entertained in a charming way, you definitely shouldn't miss Tom Hanks' directorial comeback. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp