The casting is good, story is interesting, one of those things that many have experienced, either first or second hand, in some shape or form, yet few like to talk about. It has several funny moments.
But, it just doesn't work. Cobie Smulders does only the "good old days" segments well, but the new ones are not that good - sure, the idea was to show that present is different, but, while it was different, it was not well portrayed. Justin Long is doing OK, but, he's doing the same routine during the whole movie, by the end it gets old. While the story is interesting, the actual screenplay isn't that good and a lot of things just don't make much sense - which would be OK if it were a comedy. But, since this is not really a comedy, only a "dramedy" of sorts, it's way too nonsensical.
While many may object that we don't see our protagonist learn anything, that is not so bad. Sometimes people just don't learn. Or that he's a wimp - he's mainly a nice guy who's wimpy and there are such guys and that's not bad, really. But, it's things like him staying at a hotel while his mother has a nice house, yet he's not doing very well, job/money-wise. Or that his would-be-mother-in-law likes him more than her actual son-in-law-to-be, yet he doesn't try to (ab)use that to win his ex-girlfriend back (and tries just-about everything else).
So, bottom line, it's a misfire. But, if you would like to see a funny look at an interesting, but awkward situation, it's good-enough.
But, it just doesn't work. Cobie Smulders does only the "good old days" segments well, but the new ones are not that good - sure, the idea was to show that present is different, but, while it was different, it was not well portrayed. Justin Long is doing OK, but, he's doing the same routine during the whole movie, by the end it gets old. While the story is interesting, the actual screenplay isn't that good and a lot of things just don't make much sense - which would be OK if it were a comedy. But, since this is not really a comedy, only a "dramedy" of sorts, it's way too nonsensical.
While many may object that we don't see our protagonist learn anything, that is not so bad. Sometimes people just don't learn. Or that he's a wimp - he's mainly a nice guy who's wimpy and there are such guys and that's not bad, really. But, it's things like him staying at a hotel while his mother has a nice house, yet he's not doing very well, job/money-wise. Or that his would-be-mother-in-law likes him more than her actual son-in-law-to-be, yet he doesn't try to (ab)use that to win his ex-girlfriend back (and tries just-about everything else).
So, bottom line, it's a misfire. But, if you would like to see a funny look at an interesting, but awkward situation, it's good-enough.