| “The Right Kind of Wrong” features a man, Leo Palamino (Ryan Kwanten), broken and worthless after his ex-wife left him. And then she wrote a blog called “Why You Suck.” And then she wrote a book based on the massively successful blog. Leo isn’t necessarily heartbroken, just annoyed. But then he meets a girl, one who can kick a football. He watched her get married and still decided he was going to win her over. | | 2013
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Screenplay by: Megan Martin
Based on the novel by Tim Sandlin
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Sara Canning
|
 |
Ryan Kwanten in THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG,
a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. |
I liked the premise. It seemed like a typical romantic comedy, which it is, but the set-up in the opening scenes were all very well executed. His ex, Julie (Kristen Hager), is reading his faults from her blog-turned-book – one of which is that his goals are unattainable dreams – just as he decides he’s going to marry Colette at her wedding. He also tells his friends that he has met a new girl. They are all happy for him. Where did he meet her? At a wedding. That’s nice; they’re still happy for him. Whose wedding? Hers! His friends’ happiness fades into concern, but Leo remains happy. It's a solid start for a romantic comedy as the comedy is clear and funny and it is romance based.
The problems are that the movie doesn’t live up to the excellent start and that it doesn’t remain funny as the film executes exactly as it’s supposed to. This movie is supposed to be different, but it really isn't. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, and boy attempts to win girl over. And the movie spends exactly an hour and a half on the boy attempts to win girl over part. I didn’t see the appeal of Colette (Sara Canning), but another one of Leo’s faults is that he makes snap judgments. So I suppose one doesn’t need to like Colette, just Leo.
 |
Catherine O’Hara and Ryan Kwanten in THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG,
a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. |
Kwanten’s Leo was enjoyable. A little more pitiful than your typical everyman, and a little less likely to succeed with his unattainable romantic goals. Perhaps it’s only fitting that the movie doesn’t succeed with its romantic comedy aspirations, but it is disappointing.
It’s a Canadian production of a typical Hollywood movie. Shot on location in Alberta, the mountains, creeks and woods were beautiful, but the writing also had its hills and valleys. The quirky comedy wasn’t funny, the expected storyline drags a little long, and then the ending wasn’t anything new. “The Right Kind of Wrong” was supposed to be a different kind of romantic comedy, but when the humour fades away, it just doesn’t work.
|
