a badly cast sitcom version of the Japanese film

Rating: 2/10 (25 September 2004)

Saw this at a packed sneak preview. To be fair, the audience seemed to like it, but I didn't. It doesn't work. Richard Gere is not believable as a boring, bored lawyer. Jennifer Lopez does nothing. Maybe she's an incredibly clever minimalist and I missed it--but I doubt it. Susan Sarandon is okay in her scenes (and actually good watching Richard Gere dance), but then they have an argument out of nowhere. Maybe a scene was cut. Maybe the script never made sense. The supporting characters look and act like they're cast for 8:00 sitcoms, incredibly broad and unrealistic. By the end, all the shmaltzy points have been made, though none believably...and Richard Gere and J-LO dance. See the original instead.