Μύ Ryan Reynolds debases himself for comedy's sake in the "enjoyably anarchic" Just Friends. Roger Kumble, the man behind Cruel Intentions, directs this tale of a guy stuck in the "friends zone" with his high school crush played by Amy Smart. The outlandish humour divided critics, but it was more likely the lack of big-name stars that meant it opened to a lukewarm reception at the box office.
Chewing The Fat
The Making Of Just Friends is divided into eleven featurettes, which add up to over an of hour light-hearted insights. It starts with a look at how the gangly Reynolds gained 95lbs after three hours of makeup and, we estimate, about 80lbs of latex. He also reveals that he "spent a lot of time looking in the mirror" to reassess his facial expressions. Later on, writer Adam 'Tex' Davis talks about the real-life inspiration for the script and Kumble explains how he added to the story after Anna Faris' character scored high marks with test audiences.
Among the behind-the-scenes footage we get to see how cast and crew coped with subzero temperatures in suburban New Jersey ("It hurts too breathe," complains Faris) and the fuses are lit for the staging of that explosive finale. Most intriguing though, is an up-close look at Kumble's intensive way of working with the actors, basically having them repeat lines over and over again to range from straight-faced to off-your-face. Apparently making a comedy is like an "all-you-can-eat buffet", he says. "I just load up my plate with as much stuff as I can."
Despite the gruelling schedule, the actors appear to be having a great time in the blooper reel and you can view some of the wackier outtakes in Stuff You Might Like. Frankly though, Chris Klein reaches a little too far into the comedy bag. Either that or he's having some kind of fit...
Just Dumped
An alternative ending is included among six deleted scenes. There's no mystery as to why it was cut with Reynolds' character returning to LA and finding that everyone has evolved except him. It's hardly a fitting punch line. Thankfully there are some funny moments too, like Reynolds' desperate attempts to regurgitate a fattening ice-cream sundae while on a date with Smart. Okay, so it's not politically correct, but at least we're not the ones gagging on saccharine.
Klein goes a little James Blunt in the cheeky music video for Jamie Smiles. It's just him and his guitar in a world of pain, sometimes dropping into frame upside down to best reflect the turmoil he's in... On the flipside there's also Anna Faris' flipping out on air guitar with a bitter rage that would make Alanis Morissette shrink in her seat. (Talking of which, you can catch Morissette doing cameo duty in the Making Of section.)
Occasionally this DVD slips into realms beyond the bizarre, but it's fun for the most part while also shedding light on the creative process. The only soft padding you'll find is stuck to Reynold's jowls.
EXTRA FEATURES
