Delayed Reaction: Green Card

The Pitch: You know the show Married at First Sight? This is the best case scenario.

How I Came Into It: It's Gerard Depardieu's English debut. I mostly know of Depardieu from My Father the Hero, a fantastic segment about him on Last Week Tonight this season, and for having a fun name to say. I also like McDowell both for her own work and for giving birth to Margaret Qualley, who is excellent on The Leftovers.

Why I Saw It: (Club 50) This doesn't play like a lot of Romantic Comedies, which works in its favor in some but not all ways. It's a quiet movie. There's no overbearing score to force things along. This allows a lot of smaller moments between Depardieu and McDowell to hit. The two leads are both quite likable. And, is it just me, or during her Cheers period, does Bebe Newurth seem especially lively whenever she gets a chance to remind people that she isn't just Lilith?

Why I Wish I Hadn't: The quietness is also a problem at times. Toward the beginning, when things are still getting established, it's pretty dull. I was surprised by the amount of praise people gave to McDowell in this. I remember the concern with her going into sex, lies, and videotape was that she had a lot of limitations as an actress. That turned out to not be a problem there and by the time she did Groundhog Day it had cleared up. In Green Card, I see the liability. She's lifeless at times, leaving Depardieu to do all the work to keep up with the charm.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend