MovieChat Forums > Chaos Theory (2007) Discussion > Too many unlikeable characters.

Too many unlikeable characters.


The movie was a big disappointment, but I still enjoyed Ryan Reynold's performance. At first, I didn't recognize him. He's really come a long way from his Van Wilder persona. What really ruined the movie for me was the lack of likable characters.

Susan - From the moment we first meet her in the New Year's party, she comes off as vacuous and capricious. Did she really just marry Ryan Reynold's character because of what he named his ding dong?. Give me a break! I'm pretty sure she knew Buddy was madly in love with her after they did the deed, yet she still chose Frank? She didn't even bother to tell him that she had slept with his best friend?

I understand she must have been ashamed, and I probably would have kept my mouth shut too, but how can she possibly be so naive as to think that there wasn't a possibility that Buddy could be Jesse's father? As soon as I found out I got pregnant, I would have fessed up. She knew there was a chance Buddy was the father, yet she still went along with it. That's just very mean spirited.

How come Susan never told Frank about Buddy's advances? I'm sorry, but if I'm constantly harassed/hit on by my husband's best friend, I'd probably say something. She knew there was something to hide, so she never said a thing. I had a really hard time believing their friendship. Frank seemed like a very smart man, how come he never picked up on Buddy's love for his wife?

Lastly, Susan wishy-washiness when it comes to Frank. Her reaction when she found out about the baby and the woman in the hotel bedroom was understandable. I would have probably reacted the same way. She didn't give him a chance to explain, but what was there to explain? The problem comes when Susan finds out he is not the father of the baby. She calls him a bunch of times... and sits around all day, waiting for him to come home? Seek him out, woman! She acted as if she didn't care. The same thing happens when she finds out Frank knows about Buddy. She doesn't do anything. Did she even love him?

[As much as I love Emily Mortimer, I don't feel she was the right actress for the role. Am I the only one who noticed her accent slipping?]

Buddy - Actively pursuing his "best friend's" wife. Enough said.

Jesse - A mild mannered child growing up to be, well, a slut? I guess that's understandable, but I feel we barely got to know her.

I'm sorry for the rant. I just had really high hopes for this after looking at the IMDB rating.


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I agree! The main person who annoyed me was Susan. I would probably have listened by the second or third day - at least to find out what to do next! And I'm not sure if it was the character or Emily Mortimer herself that was more unsympathetic? I just wanted him to get away from her for most of the movie...

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"Did she really just marry Ryan Reynold's character because of what he named his ding dong?."

I agree, I think it sucked that they never gave a good reason for her wanting to marry Frank. He was a douche.

"I'm pretty sure she knew Buddy was madly in love with her after they did the deed, yet she still chose Frank?"

She didn't owe Frank or Buddy anything at the time. She was a free and single woman when she slept with Buddy and was faithful once she chose Frank.

"She didn't even bother to tell him that she had slept with his best friend?"

Good, most women talk too much and tell guys crap they should keep to themselves anyway.

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Good, most women talk too much and tell guys crap they should keep to themselves anyway.


Right. Because not telling him worked out so well.

"It's that kind of idiocy that I empathize with." ~David Bowie

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Confessions of this type usually serve two purposes; they unburden the person confessing while hurting the person hearing it. I believe she said she was using birth control with Buddy, so she was confident that he wasn't the baby's father. Why hurt her husband - and possibly ruin his friendship with the guy - when it would only serve the selfish purpose of easing her conscience?

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I agree with pretty much everything you said except I found Reynolds to be somewhat grating. I thought the movie was frustratingly contrived (much of which you have illustrated quite well). This has some 'idiot plot' elements (e.g., the Reynolds character not confronting his wife right away when he found out he was sterile). I know it’s a comedy but it usually helps if the characters feel human rather than like cartoon caricatures; when we can identify it makes the situation much funnier. It’s pretty telling that, even with Reynold’s popularity, this only got a limited theatrical release. This is the kind of movie that feels right at home on DVD.

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