49. Second Act; movie review

SECOND ACT
Cert 12A
104 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, infrequent strong language

It's the first time in a while that I have watched three films in a day and my head was still spinning from a hectic Japanese anime when Mrs W joined me for Jennifer Lopez trying to remind us that she is still just Jenny From The Block.
Yep, we shouldn't be fooled by the rocks she got (or her reported $47m-a-year income).
In Peter Segal's Second Act, Lopez plays Maya, a supermarket assistant manager who has worked her way up over 15 years and become key to its profits despite no formal qualifications.
She is popular, with wacky but loyal friends and a devoted fella (Milo Ventimiglia),  however, she is frustrated because her career options are stifled by her lack of teenage education.
So, this is a tale of trying to achieve success in adversity and Maya gets her big break by having her CV forged as a gift from the son of her best friend (Leah Rimini).
Rimini's character is the inevitable ditzy one with the foul mouth who gets the laughs to entitle com being written next to rom.
I digress.
Maya gets the unexpected opportunity of a lifetime to be a senior player at a cosmetics giant thanks to her exaggerated CV and much of the comedy surrounds her attempts to match up to it.
For example, it falsely states that she speaks Mandarin and, surprise, surprise, she is required to use it at a business meeting.
I heard Mrs W groan next to me when Vanessa Hudgens reveals another key element of Second Act because she felt it was pushing believability way too far.
No kidding. Indeed, one of the failings of Segal's film is that it is way too neat.
Its unlikely central figure, the ultra-benevolent head of the cosmetics giant (Treat Williams), genially ties any loose ends to make sure everyone is happy.
At the same time, it is trying to make points about the hard-pressed working class not having it easy.
This is a tad hard to swallow whether it is represented by Lopez who looks as if she is as the height of fashion when she is supposed to be dowdy.
It all adds up to a film which has its heart in the right place, prompts a couple of laughs but doesn't really score with the juicy social point it is trying to make.

Reasons to watch: A rare Jennifer Lopez movie
Reasons to avoid: Gets a bit tangled with trying to make meaningful social points

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Nearly three out of 10 billionaires (29.9%) around the world did not have at least a bachelors degree in 2015, according to a billionaire census by Wealth-X.

The final word. Jennifer Lopez: “You need these simpler, romantic, funny looks at life…. what’s the story we can tell that really makes you take a look at your life and reevaluate it and have a little more hope for the future? Those are the kinds of movies I always love. I’m a romantic at heart, anyway. I honestly think most people are.” Ew.com

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