Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston in "The Switch" (Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures/©2010 Baster Productions, LLC)

(USA, 2010, 100 mins)

"The Switch" is one of the most predictable films of the entire summer.  Commercials, extended previews and the title of the movie itself come dangerously close to revealing the entire movie plot, nearly ruining the movie for audiences. Thankfully, writer Jeffrey Eugenides and screenplay writer Allan Loeb had their funny dialogue in very capable hands, ensuring that "The Switch" is also one of the most entertaining movies of the summer. 

Jennifer Aniston is 'Kassie', a woman whose biological clock is ticking at a faster rate than her man clock.  She is a busy professional who puts out very little energy into actually meeting someone worthwhile, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting a baby in her life.  Despite the protests of her best friend Wally, she starts to look for a specimen donor, looking at every man as a possible suitor of sorts, gauging and assessing his positives and negatives, genes-wise.

Aniston is at her best, possibly (or likely) because of the similarity to her real-life persona.  She easily sways back and forth between a sexy, driven professional and a naïve, lonely woman desperate for human contact.

Despite promos that basically reveal everything, there are many laugh-out loud moments and there are enough twists to keep viewers intrigued. One of the twists that will surely go unnoticed by most casual moviefans is the casting, which teamed up two former Brad Pitt squeezes - Aniston and Pitt's former girlfriend Juliette Lewis, who plays maid of honor to-be, Debbie.

Lewis teams up with Aniston for a chick buddy flick of sorts and despite being polar opposites on-screen and off, the two make a very entertaining pair, both complimenting each other’s comedic timing.  Even though she has been out of the game in favor of her burgeoning music career, Lewis is a true big-time actress.  Her resume is one of the most impressive of any actress in Hollywood and she brings legitimacy to this film as well as to Aniston’s performance.

Despite this film featuring two lead Hollywood actresses and being aimed at a female audience, it is the men who own and carry this film. Jason Bateman outshines the rest of the cast in his role as 'Wally', the neurotic best friend who has been lost in the friend-zone and has no idea how to get out.  Most downer characters are just that, but Bateman finds a way to toe the line between being a downer and a crackup, and he does it flawlessly. He thoroughly carries the movie the entire way, especially in the pre-baby scenes.

Once Sebastian arrives (played by Thomas Robinson), however, there are two Batemans on-screen. Child actors are hit or miss and one must usually take their turn with a grain of salt.  Not however, for 8-year-old Robinson. Like Bateman, he too manages to play the downer character with the greatest of ease, making the audience laugh far more than they cringe and truly making them believe that he is a mini-Bateman.

Lastly, Jeff Goldblum rounds out the cast as Wally's very tolerant boss. Goldblum’s turn as 'Leonard' is a microcosm for "The Switch" and even those who cannot stand Goldblum and chick flicks, will be pleasantly surprised by him and by "The Switch."

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