This predictability is reflected in Swicord's visual style. There's little that could be considered innovative here, with the possible exception of a "Don't Walk" sign asking a pertinent question at one point. Otherwise it's a procession of short interconnecting scenes that juxtapose the emotional journeys of the players, interspersed with montages that show how they are growing together as a group. At least the editing is sharp enough so it doesn't feel too choppy. There's little that relates directly to the books the club are reading. Each is introduced with a month and book title heading and we see the various members reading each novel in close-up, but we lack any in depth comparisons between the characters' predicaments and those of the people in the stories. In that respect it's a very superficial film which is unlikely to stay in your head once the credits have rolled. It's watchable enough thanks to the director's slick style, but never rises above the average. Still there are worse ways to spend a hundred and six minutes of your life.

Amy Brenneman is a sympathetic nominal lead as the cheated Sylvia. She is warm and emotional, yet rarely feels like a victim and is always there to support others. For some reason, her daughter is played by former "Lost" actress Maggie Grace, who is miscast as her father is played by Jimmy Smits. Simply covering her in fake tan doesn't make her look like she's of Hispanic descent, it just makes it look like the casting director was too lazy to find anyone of the correct ethnicity for the role. Other than that she's fine in the part although the character isn't much more than a plot device. But she has nice spiky chemistry with Emily Blunt. Blunt isn't afraid to be unlikeable as the prim, nervy Prudie. She's very fixed in her ideas and comes across as a cold, brittle, pretentious, irritating, anally retentive snob. But though Blunt maintains a decent American accent throughout, she doesn't look American.

The original music by Aaron Zigman plays both sides of the modern-traditional score fence. He uses echoing electric string motifs as the characters are introduced, jangling strings and harpsichord for Sylvia and Daniel's break-up and a complex arrangement of glockenspiel and synthesized flutes with playful woodwinds, strings and accordion for Grigg and Jocelyn's first meeting. The composer is guilty of trying to do too much with jangly guitar motifs all over the place and separate themes for every minor incident. It's too strong a contrast with the middle-of-the-road soundtrack choices like Paolo Nutini's "New Shoes", which opens the film, Snow Patrol's "You're All That I Have" for a parachute jump and bits and bobs of girly indie rock and Ella Fitzgerald.