A Romantic Comedy I Was Forced To Watch

Rating: 6/10 (15 February 2011)

Chauvinistic morning show commentator Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) makes his perpetually single producer (Katherine Heigl) the subject of a series of romantic tests in order to prove the theories on relationships he espouses on his segment called "The Ugly Truth." But will his experiments help her find love, or is she just a hopeless case?
The film also has some good supporting cast members with Cheryl Hines, Bree Turner, and the actress who plays Shirley from "Community".
There is some pesky cinematography, with a cliché use of cameras circling people in conversation. And a really bad hot air balloon scene. Most of the time it is standard with nothing of note -- not surprising, as no romantic comedy has ever been made by a notable director or cinematographer.
Gerard Butler's character is harsh, crude and somewhat immature, but as the host of his own show, he is actually fairly accurate. In some ways, he is the more rational version of Tom Cruise from "Magnolia". And what a deal, too, since Butler is the discount version of Russell Crowe. Although I was somewhat shocked at times, I liked the male lead.
Another reviewer talks about Heigl: "Despite her big talk about portrayals of women in film, she returns again and again to gender stereotypes that are so formulaic they make me cringe." This review is becoming standard, with Heigl speaking out about one-dimensional women (whom she calls "shrews") while still starring in romantic comedies, which are the epitome of films pushing flat female characters.
Roger Ebert says "the comedy bogs down in relentless predictability and the puzzling overuse of naughty words." He also finds it amazing that "this raunchy screenplay was written by three women." Not sure about the second point, but the predictability is true enough (are you surprised?) and the naughty words did make me question who the audience was. Is this a way to lure men in to see a woman's film? Who knows?
Mysteriously, I actually sort of liked this movie, even if I thought it was horrible and would never recommend it. That might not make sens,e but it is true. The soundtrack was alright, too, which caught my attention immediately by opening the film with Katy Perry.