The Good Guy

Even if you've already read my reviews, it's always fun to hear from the Buzz Editors! This week the team weighs in on Shutter Island, Happy Tears, and The Good Guy. Hint: only one of 'em is a winner!

Love triangles are done to death, but The Good Guy puts a spin on the story convention, showing the audience only what the director wants us to see: our narrator knocking on the door of his girlfriend's apartment. She's with someone else (!) and turns him away with the words, "I feel sorry for you." Seems cold — that is, until our perception gets flipped, and the tale unfolds.

Said narrator is Tommy (Scott Porter), a hotshot Wall Street trader who acts as leader to his office associates, foul-mouthed lotharios with nicknames like Shakespeare and Steve-O whose egos are as big as their pockets are deep. Tommy isn't like them. He has a new girlfriend Beth (Alexis Bledel) who he whisks away on surprise dates while the rest of the boys scrounge for late-night hookups. Or so it appears.

To see what I mean, read more

Bryan Greenberg has a lot on his plate right now. I recently spoke with the actor about his HBO project How to Make It in America, but I also had the opportunity to pick his brain about his latest big-screen role in this Friday's The Good Guy, along with his costar Scott Porter.

Greenberg stars as Daniel, a social wallflower stuck in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New York's Wall Street. Enter Tommy (Porter), a charismatic finance all-star who takes Daniel under his wing to teach him the ropes at work — and with women. Alexis Bledel costars as Tommy's new girlfriend who Daniel is crushing on (love triangle alert!).

Greenberg and Porter told me about how they adapted to playing such polar opposite characters, the Wall Street floor, and why good guys come out on top.

• Greenberg on Daniel's geeky persona: "Those sneakers were mine! The wardrobe, you look in the mirror and you're like, 'Oh, god.' The hair, the whole thing — I sent pictures to some friends back in L.A. while we were shooting, and they were like, who is that?!"
• Porter on his character, Tommy: He's a salesman, that's what he is, and he sells what he thinks you need to keep him around. Does that make him a good guy or bad guy? He's not exactly himself — I'm not sure he even knows exactly who he is — but that doesn't make him bad or good, that just makes him a little bit flawed. Well, a lot flawed.

For more from the actors read more

Alexis Bledel has been out of the spotlight for some time, but she'll be back this Friday when her promising new romantic comedy, The Good Guy, opens. Parade magazine talked to her about the movie, her love life, and her fans. Here are the highlights.

Although I've always had serious love for Rory Gilmore, I'm happy to say I never sent Alexis a crazy fan letter! What do you make of Alexis's relationship wisdom?