RESULTS: FIT FUN

With the ton of movies that are released every year there are so many possible plots that can be used. To find one that works on all levels is not only difficult but rare. So in judging movies, with the exception of the truly terrible, it is difficult to like or hate a movie based solely on the plot. And honestly most of the time it’s not just the plot that makes a movie mediocre.

RESULTS tells the story of Danny (Kevin Corrigan), a schlep who has recently inherited a ton of money. At the same time Danny has gone through a bitter break up with his ex-wife that he still loves. Moving to Texas he buys a mansion and then decides that he needs to get into shape.

Danny sees a young woman running, follows her and then decides this is the place to join, Fit 4 Life. Owned and operated by Trevor (Guy Pearce) he learns that Trevor believes there is more to learn than simple exercise, true health revolves around something deeper. Danny doesn’t actually listen because honestly he’s more interested in the young woman he followed, Kat (Cobie Smulders). Rather than work out at Trevor’s facility he asks for private tutoring.

Kat shows up and things go smoothly sort of. Danny does follow what she tells him to do but at the same time he always seems distracted, again more interested in Kat than the actual work he must do to change his lifestyle. But there is something more missing in Danny’s life which we come to understand watching him at home. Living in the mansion he’s surrounded by the toys that we all think we’d love to have if we ever had the money and the time. The pool, the stocked bar, the guitar, all are things that fill Danny’s time when not with Kat.

He finally calls Kat to come over to spend time with him. It’s not exactly a date but Kay is having problems of her own so she goes over. Her life isn’t what she expected it to be either. She loves the training, she loves helping people but at the same time they frustrate her. In most of her relationships, both professional and personal, she always seems to reach a point where she causes a meltdown. She seems about to explain this to Danny but instead the two kiss resulting in Danny wanting to be involved with Kat which she isn’t interested in.

Learning of what happened Trevor goes over to set Danny straight. What begins as a confrontation turns into the two becoming friends with Trevor taking over as Danny’s trainer. As their friendship builds Trevor takes Danny on as his partner, seeing his dreams of creating a much larger business and location. But this is not actually what is going on between the two.

Danny has seen the interaction between Trevor and Kat. While the opening of the movie was spent creating the story of Danny it is in fact more about Trevor and moves that direction from here on out. As Danny manipulates both Trevor and Kat towards one another, he does so not out of spite or anger but because he saw what happened in his own marriage. He wants them to experience happiness and thinks the only way it will happen is if they are together.

The film plays as if it’s a romantic comedy but the truth is it’s not quite any specific genre. Yes, there is romance involved here though it’s not quite what we’ve come to expect in a romantic film. Yes, there is comedy but honestly it’s never enough nor satisfies a desire to laugh. The comedy is dry and often misses the mark but on occasion it hits a right note. If you toss enough attempts out there one is bound to hit.

The movie is well made but that’s not enough to save it from itself. While it’s not the worst movie ever made when it was finished I found myself thinking that I’d just spent over an hour and half watching something that was just there, not a movie that I’d recommend to anyone or talk about in length. I can’t fault the actors because they actually do a decent job, but their characters are so one note only that it made it hard to relate to any of them, to understand them or to want to know more about them. Corrigan, who I think is a much underused actor, just seems to mope around for the entire film. His character should be the one we sympathize with but the way he’s written he never quite gets there. Trevor seems confused from start to finish. And Kat seems like someone I don’t think I’d like to know any better than I have here.

In the end this movie isn’t one that’s terrible but it just sort of feels like it’s there and nothing more. Nothing stands out here, nothing would make me watch it again and it left me feeling blah rather than wanting to watch it again. It didn’t even make me want to seek out other movies by anyone involved. At best the movie is mediocre and one of those films that when the shelf is bare, there is no great movie being rerun on TV or you’ve watched your favorite film enough times already you might want to watch.

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