The Rebound [Blu-ray]

I found "The Rebound" a straightforward and enjoyable 'Adult' Romantic Comedy, written and directed by Bart Freundlich, and not your usual tired fare. After all, this one stars Catherine Zeta-Jones (Sandy) and Justin Bartha (Aram) as the two leads. You really can't go wrong with these two presenting a younger man and an older woman theme. Sandy's two children, Sadie (Kelly Gould) and Frank (Andrew Cherry) are just adorable and precocious as ever. The R rating is for the themes explored, sexual innuendo, and for some bawdy language, making this a romance, with generous slices of comedy for adults.This story basically starts with a forty-year-old, married Sandy, on her laptop looking through video clips of her beautiful children for her son's Birthday Party. As she's perusing through the happy scenes, she spies in the background her husband being unfaithful. Thankfully, as this is a comedy, his behavior does not get explored in detail. We quickly focus on Sandy and the children moving into an apartment in New York City above a coffee shop. This is where the very amiable Aram works and they all first meet.The children quickly take notice of him and immediately like him. Shortly after meeting Aram, he offers his babysitting services to free up Sandy for her now necessary job hunt. Sandy gains work for a major sports network as she's an avid sports fan and educated in this area. Her boss, Laura Reilly is strongly acted by Lynn Whitfield who becomes a definite role model for Sandy. The 'babysitter', whom the children adore and so does Sandy, is permanently employed as the kid's "manny". The two find a comfortable friendship with each other by this time and Sandy is getting more stable and happy with her life after the incident with her now ex-husband.Aram has a degree in Sociology, although is content working in the coffee shop as he has been hit hard emotionally by a relationship also. He married a French woman who used him cruelly. He lives with his parents, the Finkelstein's (Art Garfunkel acts the part of the father in a uniquely comedic role). Aram possesses a generous, warm and thoughtful nature that one couldn't help but love. One of Sandy's friends begins urging, even hounding her to go on a blind date with a Chiropractor, Trevor (John Schneider), while Sandy really doesn't want any part of it. She finally relents and leaves the kids with Aram to go out with him. As far as blind dates go, this one takes the cake as Trevor is a complete fool and Sandy's responses to him are quite funny. When she returns to the apartment after the date from hell, Aram is there for her afterward. You could definitely say she is happy about that...As usual with this type of movie, there is a plot twist. This one was quite an unexpected one for me. I won't go forward describing this easygoing and workable film as it really would be a spoiler for anyone interested in seeing this. You will be seeing some beautiful scenery and further explore the soundtrack (Jim Black) that starts with a bang from the beginning. While Sandy is yelling out the song "B**ch" (Meredith Brooks) in her car while driving, Aram sings "Every Time You Go Away" (Paul Young) to Sadie so she'll fall asleep. It is always enjoyable to see Catherine Zeta-Jones in this type of role; strong and vulnerable at the same time. She is one actress that can do this with ease while adding her razor sharp and dry wit. Justin Bartha has the innocence and sweet qualities to flesh out the role of Aram, bringing him to life. The two share an easy rapport and a believable chemistry for an interesting and funny view with a new twist on the May~'September' relationship. Sure, Aram is younger than Sandy, but she is only forty when they meet... hardly a May~December relationship for me.

Hey-film geek girl here(actually,woman)!! I watch a lot of rom-coms and it is hard to find ones that are really great throughout like this one. I have thought that Justin Bartha(and his gorgeously almost neon blue eyes)was adorable and funny ever since the 1st "National Treasure" movie and Catherine Zeta usually makes great film choices,this is definetely no exception.Also when I stumbled upon this in the new to video part of amazon instant,I didn't notice at first that the director was Bart Fr...Sorry,can't remember at the moment how to spell his last name. I do know that he is married to the beautiful and talented Julianne Moore and that they know about a successful relationship involving a slightly older woman.Sure can relate to liking and lusting after younger men. The chemistry between Sandy,the 40yr old mother of 2 kids that is on the rebound from a cheating,kind of awful husband and Arol(not really sure what his name was),the 25 yr old college grad,that works at a cafe and starts working for Sandy, is pretty warm and fantastic. They seem to appreciate each other and care about each other and the kids. The film doesn't rush into the walk down the aisle and quick love but reveals the strengths and passions of both of the main characters. All the travel scenery was nice too,of one of the character's,towards the end."The Rebound" is a wonderful example of how what makes a family beautiful and unique can vary so much. I gotta say,it makes me a little lonely and very much uplifted at the same time. It also stars other great people like Art Garfunkel as Aros' father and Lynn Whitfield as Sandy's eventual respectful,strong boss. I highly recommend this film for any hopeless romantics out there,that don't mind a little real life raunchiness and some bad words interspersed throughout.

Seriously, kids talk about sex, sperm etc so easily in movies? And this constant vulgarity about sex is really irritating.Oh and it had to also show the bad side of French girls? How cliché is that? French are hot and cheat for a green card? Really?Besides that it would have been a nice story but what I mentioned just made it bad.

First off, it's hard not to like any rom-com with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha. What a great match up!! But I think the real gem of the movie isn't just how much you like them, it really is the story itself. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a gutsy mom who catches who husband cheating with her best friend and has to pick up and start life all over as a forty-something mom in NYC. She pulls it off really well. And I like the whole Bartha younger guy thing, falling in love with the older woman in this story. The chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Bartha is delightful. And without giving anything away, I really liked the "growing up" thing that needed to happen and how their story together gets resolved. It is a movie well worth seeing, cute, sweet and in many ways showing how love is something that catches you off guard and doesn't fit a certain mold.I only gave it 5 stars because it was really good and cute but I wouldn't put it up there with rom-coms like He's Just Not That Into You. But it is really good and sweet and fun.

Yay, a feel-good, nice movie about people getting through Life, doing their best, and loving each other the best they can. I needed this. Even my husband liked it btw!!

I took a chance on this movie, and I'm glad I did. An amazing love story.

good movie for when you just want to watch something that won't get you down

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

What interested me about this film was the light but still valid examination of the older woman having a relationship with the younger man. This film isn't making a statement it is just a sweet romantic comedy.I thought Catherine Zeta-Jones was convincing as the titular single parent who is newly divorced and relocated due to her ex's lack of monogamy. She ends up employing Justin Bartha's character to babysit her children but it is her he is really interested in. It is not too much of a stretch to imagine what will happen in the end but the journey there is a pleasant enough one.The children are very well played by the actors in involved and the other peripheral actors are also well carried out. This is ot a complicated or ground breaking premise, but I thought it worked, and the two leads gave empathic performances, this is a unoffensive feel good movie which would compliment any laid back evening needing non commital viewing.

I'm not really a fan of Catherine Zeta-Jones but I found this film one of the best she's ever been in the acting was believable as the wronged wife after discovering her husband having an affair with her friend , then her young babysitter becomes her boyfriend , the ending could have been a little stronger but all in all I loved this film so did my ( younger boyfriend ) a great watch with some excellent comedy moments randomly placed more than a chuckle than a belly laugh but one of those cosy warm films that you'll watch again & again .

Zeta Jones is a young 40 with 2 children who finds out her husband is a cheat. Divorce follows, she moves to New York. She meets several weird men but only finds a soul mate in her 24 year old baby sitter. The acting is quite good, the plot is not really too predictable and this is an enjoyable film. Worth the money and worth watching, though I think somebody took a great idea, but did not make the most of what could have been.

Too much mention of sex in front of young children for comfort to my mind.

I suppose this film comes under the chick flick category but hell who cares I like chick flicks, it,s a great romcom and I like it great acting from all the characters especially Catherine Zeta-Jones kids.