New Year's Eve

The one night anything is possible.

Garry Marshall followed up his ensemble piece Valentine’s Day (2010) with a similar film, made to entertain young and old as we contemplate the (romantic?) possibilities of a new year. The cast is full of stars, but focus tends to lie on younger, popular talent. What everybody has in common though is a script that consistently lets down – its surprises are ineffectual, jokes unfunny and romances trite. Fox also treats the movie as simply another chance to plug some of its other offerings.

2011-U.S. 118 min. Color. Directed by Garry Marshall. Cast: Hilary Swank (Claire Morgan), Ashton Kutcher (Randy), Katherine Heigl (Laura), Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Duhamel… Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Hector Elizondo, Cary Elwes, Carla Gugino, Seth Meyers, Common, James Belushi, Alyssa Milano, Ryan Seacrest, Penny Marshall. Cameos: Michael Bloomberg, Matthew Broderick, John Lithgow.