‘Just Go With It’ a crass mess

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler in "Just Go With It" Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) pretends to be the future ex-wife of Danny (Adam Sandler) the plastic surgeon in the rom-com “Just Go With It.”

To understand how brain-numbing and manipulative this insufferably crass and icky rom-com is, some cinematic genealogy would be in order.

“Just Go With It” is a remake of the Oscar-winning 1969 comedy “Cactus Flower,” written by Billy Wilder’s frequent collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, who also penned a few notable features such as “Some Like It Hot,” “The Front Page” and “The Apartment.”

Diamond based his script on the stage play “Cactus Flower” adapted by Abe Burrows, who also wrote a few Broadway shows you might have heard of: “Guys and Dolls,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Can-Can.”

When frequent Adam Sandler collaborator and hack director Dennis Dugan got his hands on this project, “Just Go With It” suddenly went without an unfunny foul-matter detector or a convincing emotional arc designed to counteract the shameful actions of its irritating characters.

“Just Go With It” tells the story of a wealthy plastic surgeon named Danny (Sandler) who lies to women to get them in bed. That plot’s been done a few times before, of course.

“I discovered the power of the wedding ring!” Danny blurts in his annoying, dumbed-down voice-over narration that explains how he pretends to be unhappily married so hot women will offer him pity sex.

But a none-too-bright, 23-year-old super hottie named Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) thinks Danny is single. So when she finds the dummy wedding ring in Danny’s pocket, the surgeon lies and tells her he’s married, but getting a divorce. (Read more…)

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