Sit back and enjoy this totally implausible but consistently likeable high school romp.

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2004)

Rating: *** (out of *****)
What is Matthew (Emile Hirsch) supposed to do when, despite his academic achievements in high school, he hasn't got any special memories to write about for his closing statement in the yearbook? Sure, he's class president, but he's never done anything really interesting of note. (Hanging about with his two best friends doesn't count.) Of course, as in almost every film these days, a twist is necessary to get the plot going, and that twist is the arrival in Matt's neighbourhood of Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert). Matt is as struck by her looks as she is by his innocence.
Some American critics have written about how The Girl Next Door seems like a 21st century Risky Business (an early '80's Tom Cruise flick). I can't make the comparison, but what I can do is state that yes, Matt does get involved in some very risky business, especially with Danielle's ex (Timothy Olyphant) and a host of others in her life. Her life, in fact, is far more different from his than he could possibly imagine. (A hint to what her life is about can be found in the subject matter of the 1999 documentary with the same name as this film - although if you've read the previews, you probably know already.)
A number of things elevate this from moderate fun to guilty pleasure. One of them is the presence of some really funny background gags - while some don't work, you have to give the director credit for trying them. At least twice, when you think the film could end, it continues and becomes better as a result. Best of all, Elisha Cuthbert, in whom I found nothing special in magazine pictures, looks absolutely stunning here, so to speak. The chemistry between her and the affable Emile Hirsch is believable. The young actors in the film are that likeable (and funny) that you forgive the lapses into corniness. It gets to the point where you really want a happy ending, and you get it.
So what about the plot holes and the never truly credible story? This isn't art. It's pure entertainment, nothing more, nothing less, with a good choice of tunes too. My advice is just to sit back, relax and enjoy. You might just be pleasantly amused, whether you are in your teens or not.