Tasteless and disturbing

Rating: 5/10 (11 November 2003)

I've enjoyed the other movies by this director/writer, but unlike " 4 Weddings", "Bridget Jones" and "Notting Hill", this one drags some pre-adolescents into the frolics and the ensuing moral insensitivity is disturbing. The Liam Neeson stepfather character, his short-lived grief aside, is creepy and casts a pall over the entire film. There were plenty of laughs and some enjoyable characters in this uneven pastiche, but the coarse and silly kiddie romance--- replete with a most unfunny breech of airport security at the end--- left me feeling as though everyone involved in creating this film is not only childless, but also clueless about the events of 9/11.