Unappealing, inert and overlong inane romantic comedy.

Garner is likable, but the film is so leisurely and meandering that it never quite builds a pulse to engage the emotions the way Grant so obviously strives.

Even with Smith involved, Catch and Release isn't the sort of film a guy would generally go to see alone, but it does make for a decent date movie. She'll enjoy the romantic elements and he'll likely find it unobjectionably entertaining.

...nothing particularly noteworthy or innovative...

Can we really be expected to invest in a budding relationship between a woman and the best buddy of her dead lover?

The multiple story threads make it a little unfocused from a thematic standpoint, but it's a generally well-executed lark, neither too serious nor too silly for its subject matter.

At times I was entertained; other times, I just scratched my head.

The film's slight, quirky characters are driven by a soundtrack designed to tell us exactly how to feel. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing--in this case, something had to.

Disappointing film that can't decide whether it's meant to be a romantic comedy or an emotional drama and fails at both as a result.