Why did William H. Macy direct this movie?
One of the most esteemed actors around has branched into direction in recent years. His first movie, "Rudderless", was an equally uninspired waste of time, but at least the basic premise of that movie wasn't immediately familiar.
"The Layover" is about two female friends, one a goody-two-shoes, the other an alleged bad girl, who make an impromptu decision to go on a vacation together. On the plane they meet some guy and immediately start competing with each other for him. On the cover, this guy is a dead ringer for "True Blood" Aussie actor Ryan Kwanten, who probably would have been better in the role. The guy they get (Matt Barr) never really conveys anything other than token eye candy, but then, neither does Kate Upton as Meg, the bad girl. She's not as bad an actress as you might expect from someone who is famous only for her looks. But she doesn't really make an impression in this movie aside from that, and nor can you believe her as someone who makes her living as a salesgirl.
It mightn't surprise you that the movie isn't funny, unless you know that it was written by David Hornsby and Lance Krall, who were so hilarious on "Joe Schmo".
Two seasoned comedy writers and a great actor at the helm. How did they add up to something this forgettable?
