The Back-Up Plan (Movie Review)

Puerto Rican actress Jennifer Lopez makes her long awaited comeback to the big screen in the New York romantic comedy ‘The Back Up Plan’. Lopez is back to form in what is, in my opinion, a charming and pleasant cinematic experience. Any thoughts on Lopez being washed up will have to wait since she can still carry a film on charm alone even with a modest B list cast. The movie possesses appeal, mostly from its star, but also from its relevant and topical plotline.

Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has been on hundreds of dates looking to find a prince charming whom she can fulfill her life long dream of starting a family with. Regrettably, she discerns her time has past and resorts to what she feels is her ‘back up plan’ – artificial insemination. As fate must have it, Zoe meets the man of her dreams (Alex O’Loughlin) on the same day she submitted herself to the procedure. Will she tell her shining prince that she’s pregnant with some unknown man’s sperm? Will he feel he has to father kids that aren’t his own? How will it all end for Zoe?

Jennifer Lopez’s movie career spiraled down a bit when El Cantante was released in 2006 (the film only generated 7.6 million dollars). For those who have followed her career since Money Train we have noticed her strengths lie in the romantic comedy genre and even perhaps in action films. When she naturally decides to branch out into more demanding genres such as drama, her deficiencies as an actress are magnified. I disagree with people who say she isn’t a good actress. She is not an Oscar caliber actress, but she is a good one. You might think it’s easy to play cutesy and adorable in a movie. But she makes it look that easy. That’s her gift. I compare her to Sandra Bullock and put her in that range set. You never know Jennifer Lopez might have one Oscar win in her.

Nevertheless, most women will love this film, at least the ones that are suckers for romance. Men will barf at it because Alex O’Loughlin, the male lead, portrays a character at the end of the film of a man that doesn’t seem to exist in real life. The implausible fantasy is a bit too much to bear. It is a fantasy film full of romance though, full of hope and obviously a feel good sentiment. That is what you’ll be buying for the price of a movie ticket, and that is not bad. I liked it, it made me like that world a bit better than ours, even if it’s just for an hour and a half.

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