Will Smith should do more romantic comedies!

Rating: Null/10 (4 April 2005)

'Hitch' is a romantic comedy based around the life of a 'love doctor' called Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens and his clients; many different men who all suffer from the same problem, of being unable to capture the hearts of their chosen lady. Hitch, played by Will Smith, is a charismatic character and was perfectly cast for the role. He uses lessons learnt in his own private life in order to help his customers achieve their desired goal  basically educating men in what women really want and how to go about fulfilling those needs, while opening their eyes up to the many ways in which they could mess things up. I can imagine that Will Smith has portrayed the character in such a way that he is admired and respected by men, adored and chased by women. Although you cannot help but cringe where things go disastrously wrong concerning his own love life with Sara, a gossip columnist he falls for while out in a bar one night. In particular, his second date with her when he suffers an allergic reaction was one of horror and I felt so sorry for both parties at the time, although it was as a result of this freak accident that the barrier between them was finally taken down and they admitted their feelings towards each other.
It must be difficult to make a good romantic comedy without cheesiness, as there are many soppy movies around but very few that pull off the classic story of girl meets guy and after a struggle they end up together. However, Hitch masters the basic theme wonderfully. It inspired genuine reactions from me, and I found myself squirming in my seat at times, curious about how the characters would react, laughing out loud at original comic scenes, and finally leaving the cinema with a warm feeling inside me. I think that is the key to a good rom-com  being able to entertain people while providing them with a believable romantic tale, so that they go away either feeling grateful for their own relationships, or if single are left optimistic with the belief that no matter how bad things may seem to be in the past or present there is always a chance that true love could be just around the corner.
The sub-plot which centres around Hitch's most challenging project, an overweight accountant called Albert who fancies a celebrity, is just as compelling to watch as the main relationship between Hitch and Sara. I loved how events were fabricated in a way that was both realistic considering the characters which they involved and the manner in which obstacles were overcome. The best part though had to be when this client's life began taking a toll on Hitch's personal relations, yet he realised his responsibility to Albert as a professional consultant meant that his priority was to fix that problem first.
This was an excellent movie, which banishes the preconceived idea of romantic comedies being 'chick flicks', as both men and will enjoy it. The characters, acting and situations are top-notch and hope that more movies of this standard are made.