Barbra Streisand and well and truly passed her best, and she no longer has the pulling power to make a movie a box office hit. However, I suppose, she is still a big enough star to pick what movies she will be acting on, and therefore commits little mistakes with her choices. This flick is nothing amazing, but compared to the enormous amount of crap that one has to watch, it's decent, funny and makes for a good watch. I am sure I will never watch it again, but if someone was to asked me a recommendation for a funny comedy to watch over the weekend, something where your mind is free to relax and helps you to forget work, your boss, and your wife's boyfriend, this is it. At least, that's my opinion. I know that most people seem to differ. I enjoyed it.

The Guilt Trip (2012): Dir: Anne Fletcher / Cast: Seth Rogen, Barbra Streisand, Brett Cullen, Adam Scott, Ari Graynor: Disappointing road trip comedy about the relationship between a mother and son. Seth Rogen plays Andy Brewster whose enthusiasm for chemistry allowed him to invent a cleaning product that is environmentally safe. He arrives home to his widowed mother who tells him of a past relationship she had before she met his father. Intrigued, Andy looks up this stranger whom he tracks to San Francisco. He invites his mother along for a road trip where he stops at various places in failing attempts to sell his product, but doesn't inform his mother of his real intentions. Despite the presence of its appealing leads the screenplay is a bore from start to finish with bland locations. What nearly saves the film is the joyous presence of Barbra Streisand as Andy's mother who means well but often embarrasses her son in her attempts to be loving. Rogen is also very good as Andy who grows frustrated with his mother's annoyances and his inability to sell a product that works. Problem is that both actors have two distinct audiences and perhaps fans of Rogen's previous films may not jell with the veteran Streisand crowd humour. Supporting roles are flat. Peter Cullen appears briefly to innocently woe Streisand during an eating competition, and Adam Scott plays the son of Streisand's ex lover. Ari Graynor appears all of five minutes just to be lucky enough to work with Streisand. For director Anne Fletcher this is not as guilty as The Proposal thanks to its mother son trip. Score: 4 / 10

Barbara is no surprise in this movie, she nailed it, not deep but trusty.Rogen, I just decided to watch more of him I need to find out if he was acting or just being himself, I just believed his character.The love and miss combination of the argument for this script needs to be understood as an excuse for another funny road movie.Being pitiful is a low exit to make the character Andy more credible, but his looks accomplish the task very well, and his voice and accent make the ironic, cynic answers build a character.The movie could make you either laugh or cry, it will depend so much in the mood you are while watching... The downside, if you are tired you will fall asleep, just give it another try when you are rested.

Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen are capably cast and reasonably convincing as a somewhat-estranged mother and son embarking on a cross-country journey by car, but "The Guilt Trip" is full of obvious jokes and wilted poignancy. The give-and-take of the characters suggests a far more lived-in relationship than what we're told (these two bicker like long-time marrieds), and the mother's apparent celibacy of some 25 years doesn't wash. There are compensations: Streisand's colorful scene eating a four-pound steak as part of a restaurant contest is a winner, and Rogen proves to be a nicely-grounded anchor throughout (he's gently perturbed, never irascible for a big comedic effect). The picture looks good but gets off to a slow start (and has a too-long goodbye scene at the end), yet there are funny and sweet moments tucked away...and amusing leftover takes during the end credits. **1/2 from ****