I could not help but notice the ‘Arrangement’ billboard on Sunset Boulevard. It caught my eye for two reasons: Firstly, I have never seen a male film star’s junk so prominently featured in such an amusing and light-hearted manner. Secondly, I recognized the name ‘Robert Pattinson’ on the billboard. I had recently watched a documentary on Netflix about the ‘Kilroy’ singer. Turns out, he is one of the most interesting and complex persons I have ever come across. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, ‘Kilroy’ is a character played by Canadian singer Shania Twain in the movie ‘The Royal Romance’ (2011). It would be an understatement to say that ‘Kilroy’ is not representative of male film stars in modern day Hollywood. Indeed, as I got into my car to continue down Sunset Boulevard, the most prominent image that came to mind was that of Michael Douglas in ‘Wall Street’ shouting “Let’s make a deal!” At any rate, I digress.
The Arrangement Movie Trailer
After several false starts, the Hollywood studios are finally starting to see the light and are putting out decent films again. This is certainly true of the Arrangement. Directed by Michael Sucsy and starring Robert Pattinson, Matt LeBlanc and Lucy Punch, the movie is an adaptation of the Bernard Beckett novel ‘Echo In The Head’. The film’s trailer gives a good insight into what the movie is about: two men, both lawyers, one (Pattinson) is a philandering playboy who doesn’t want to get married, the other (LeBlanc) is a straight-laced attorney who has recently separated from his wife. Punch plays the newly single mother of a teenage daughter.
The trailer opens with a bang as LeBlanc is seen driving into a wall. He slams on the brakes in an apparent effort to avoid hitting something, only to have a brick-sized piece of concrete come flying through the windshield. Moments later we cut to the aftermath: a wrecked LeBlancmobile. We then discover that LeBlanc is alive, but barely, as he has been in a full-blown coma since the accident. We see glimpses of the incident through his eyes as he awakes. In a matter of moments, we realize that things have not gone as he planned. He is now a single dad and has to figure out how to raise his daughter on his own. He decides to become a better person, and decides that therapy is the way to go.
The trailer shows LeBlanc going to see his therapist (Pattinson), played by Alec Baldwin, who gives him a pill to help him sleep. The lawyer asks the prescribing doctor an important question: “how long does it take for this pill to take effect?” To which the doctor replies: “well, it really depends on the person…” After a beat, LeBlanc realizes what the doctor meant. As he leaves the office, he pauses for a minute to look at the sign on the door: “Echo In The Head”. He doesn’t need to read the rest of the sign to know what it means. He just walks away.
How Does Therapy Help?
The role of a male playboy in the Arrangement trailer is perfectly cast by Robert Pattinson. As a former addict himself, he is able to bring his authentic struggle to the role. He does an excellent job of portraying a charming yet deceitful and irresponsible individual. Not many actors could pull off that combination. It is not an easy role to play, but it is extremely rewarding when you get it right.
From the moment we see him in the trailer it is clear that Matt LeBlanc is in for a bit of a struggle. He is seen coming out of the movie’s hospital with his daughter Jane, played by the stunning Dakota Johnson. The two of them walk down the street as she looks concernedly at her father. She asks him if he is OK as he walks toward his car. He assures her that he is perfectly fine, insisting that she keep her worries to herself as they walk and talk together. It appears that she is finally going to let her guard down and allow herself to be more open and communicative, which is exactly what her father needs at this point in his life. She has been through a lot, and it is evident that her father is still struggling to deal with his recent separation from his wife. Even from this first scene, we can tell that this is a movie that is going to be interesting to follow.
Brief Bio On Matt LeBlanc
As mentioned, Matt LeBlanc plays a lawyer named Larry in the Arrangement. He is a single father with a teenage daughter named Jane. It is important to know a bit more about LeBlanc. He was born in Chicago in 1960 and moved to Montreal at the age of 13. He initially began his career by doing telemarketing for a living, and eventually went on to get a law degree from the University of Montreal. He then went on to pass the bar in Montreal, becoming a lawyer. After practicing for a few years, he decided to go out on his own and set up shop as a solo practitioner. While in the process of setting up his practice, he met and married his wife, Angie. They have a daughter named Jane. Over the years, Larry has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases, and has always stood firm by his guns. He is not a patient man, and has a reputation for being tough and relentless. He definitely doesn’t lack in the looks department either as he is the spitting image of his character actor father, James Brolin. In the trailer, James Brolin plays Dr. Danica Patrick, Larry’s therapist. Patrick is an attending physician at the hospital where LeBlanc has his accident.