"Sometimes you're your own worst enemy." For Conrad this was apparently the longest and most painful week. For me this was the longest and most painful movie experience. Anyway I have a strong dislike for a voice-over that begins with "This is ..." followed by the name of the main character. This is usually already a bad omen. You can almost compare it with the voice-over that starts with "My name is ..." followed by the name of the main character (with a few exceptions such as "Forrest Gump"). But lets return to "The Longest Week". They've taken their time to release this romantic comedy (although I haven't discovered much humor). Apparently it was already completed in 2012. Was it doubt that made them forget about it ? Or were the reactions of the test audiences so disastrous? However, if you want to see how a spoiled rich son in his thirties is thrown out of his comfort zone without money or continuous attention for his egocentric personality, after that relying on a friend to get through this horrible time and falling in love with a handsome model, then you should definitely take a look. Don't forget to lay down a cozy cushion near you, because this is just about the slowest film I've ever seen with content so meaningless, that I hand over an award to myself for unparalleled endurance.Visually it all was quite beautiful to watch. Stylized, detailed and artistically (the series of images, the jazzy music, the clothing and furniture). It also had a little tendency to be pretentious. Well that suits the main character Conrad : a pretentious snob who's being pampered all his life by the staff of The Valmont Hotel. A narcissist who has never proved anything and will never have the need to prove himself. Someone who was born so privileged that he can't imagine what it's like to care for himself in real life without everything being handed on a silver platter. Maybe that's why I already hated this pretentious layabout and would-be author after 10 minutes. The fact that his future novel (in the line of Fitzgerald) wasn't yet completed, I attribute solely to his lifestyle. That some life lessons are the cause of an acceleration in his writing process, was pure fiction, in my opinion.Read other reviews and the name Woody Allen comes up often. Despite the reputation and the huge share of followers this filmmaker has, I've never been a fan of his creations. They each seem like complex, highly intellectual comedies. I always had the impression that the humor of Woody Allen's films was hidden in the syntactic errors that the main players made cunningly, because I never really thought it was funny. I know that those who link this movie with Woody Allen didn't think of this fact particularly, but for me this is the most plausible link, because real humor I haven't found in "The Longest Week" either. There was one particular moment for me that seemed comical. When Jenny Slate (I really have to watch "Obvious Child") gives her opinion about a play they've attended, and by that lays her finger on the sensitive points.I understand the satirical meaning of this film and the exaggeration of Conrad's pretension, but couldn't honestly empathize with the complete story (in analogy with Slate). It's like the descriptions used for Dylan Tate, Conrad's best friend : Dylan is "an anti-social socialist", "a closet conversationalist" and "a clinical neurotic". A series of expensive, intellectual words that sound complicated, but ultimately mean nothing. Similarly, the snobbish conversations with much ado. I was always wondering which individuals would converse in such a way with each other and at the same time know what it's about. Even the notorious love triangle they came up with, felt artificial. As artificial as the eyelashes of Beatrice (Olivia Wilde). They reminded me of the plastic doll my sisters played with 40 years ago. It had the same flashing eyes with lashes so big that you could protect yourself against the burning sun in summer. Pretentious, not? More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Conrad (Jason Bateman) has been one of the luckiest people on the planet. His parents own a stately hotel in Manhattan, the Valmont, where "Connie" has lived his whole life. Nested in the penthouse, life is an endless string of women and parties. The claim is that he is a writer in the "developing stages" of a book. But, alas, Poor Yorick! His parents decide on a divorce and neither wants to pay for Conrad's current lifestyle. Thus, he is soon "hotel-less and homeless". Its a shock, with Conrad having to leave his dog Napoleon in the hands of a longtime hotel employee. Thus, he ends up bunking with a male pal, Dylan (Billy Crudup) who is perhaps Connie's only true friend. Almost at once, Dylan tells Conrad that he has broken up with a longtime girlfriend and has his eye on a beautiful fashion model, Beatrice (Olivia Wilde). Bea has been setting boundaries for Dylan's pursuit, though she does seem interested in the man. Wouldn't one know, when the three of them get together that Conrad develops a crush on Beatrice, too? With his more aggressive style, this juvenile, penniless little rich boy makes more time in a few days than Dylan has in weeks, all behind Dylan's back! Will this new romance last? This is an unusual film, urban, witty, and interesting. The sharp dialogue will make those who like words over action stunts very happy. Then, too, Bateman, Wilde, Crudup, Tony Roberts and the rest of the acting crew are most wonderful as well. although it would have been nice to see Crudup more. With great sets, costumes, and direction, The Longest Week has its charm and fun. Alas, the ending was unsatisfying for this viewer but others might not find it so. Even so, this notable flick will help film fans who delight in something other than superheroes quite gleeful.

The Longest Week (2014)What a strangely almost good movie. It has lots of compelling elements, including Jason Bateman as the nice guy leading man (though here he plays a spoiled rich boy). It's a complex enough story, and a love story, and it's set in lovely Brooklyn (an almost Manhattan). It should work. And second leading man Billy Crudup is terrific—better than Bateman.So enjoy it for what it is? Sure. But it will kludge along at times, and will get a bit obvious at other times. The women (girlfriends, mainly) are weakly cast (or weakly directed), which doesn't help. But mostly it's a matter of originality—which is missing.In fact, the whole thing is alike a Woody Allen mashup wannabe. The voice-over will make you think too much of "Vicky Christina Barcelona" and some of the photography of "Manhattan" but in color. (They even cast Allen regular Tony Roberts in a role as, yes, a shrink.) But mostly it's "Annie Hall" redux. In fact, it's almost a remake—girl meets unlikely boy, they have a romance, it goes south, and then boy re-evaluates (with direct stealing of ideas like having the plot reappear as a play, or in this case as a novel). And even if you don't like "Annie Hall" (which I do), you have to admit it came first, and is wonderfully original.To add insult to injury, the whole set design and shooting style is straight out of Wed Anderson, though toned down to the point of being dull. (Anderson is never dull, at least visually.)So what is left? Lots of little moments—quaint remarks (skipping over the brazenly sexist stuff that is meant to be funny and is mostly embarrassing, like the soccer practice) and a generally nice flow of events. It's easy to watch even if you aren't enthralled.Director and writer Peter Glanz is fairly new to the scene, and this movie is a seven day expansion of an earlier indie success, "A Relationship in Four Days." No wonder this one feels about three days too long. See it? Maybe, if you already know you like the cast or the genre. Or maybe just give the Allen films a second try. Worlds apart.

First of all I enjoyed the acting of Bateman and Olivia Wilde. They are both a joy to watch. The story is having it's ups and downs, and the narration is something that I personally like in movies. But the main reason why I would recommend someone to watch this film is the cinematography. Great photographic scenes, depth of field, rule of thirds, low key, minimalist. Fantastic use of all the techniques. If you are a photographer you'll realize what I mean. Although even if you don't have any photography background you'll simply enjoy the view. Hats off to cinematographer Ben Kutchins, great work! Of course it doesn't hurt that Olivia Wild is damn gorgeous...