style before substance

Rating: 5/10 (30 March 2006)

A predictable comedy that rates between 5 & 6 by my reckoning, though my pair of companions considered it more highly. As I watched it, I thought of what Hollywood was descending into, with mostly movies of special effects & no plot! FAR from the great era of movies of the era that Cecil B. De Mille & his ilk painstakingly engineering productions with MASSIVE contributions of their acting cast, hailed & famous, or unknown & mostly unappreciated in their seemingly trivial roles.
But of course, in a comedy of this type, there's no expectation or place for special effects & plot, for it is inane entertainment, made only for the night you have nothing to do. Take an actor imitating any number of Robert Redford performances & an imitation Meg Ryan, as partner in deception. Polish it with the worst of Americanism. Throw in an imitation Max Von Sydow & a cross between Arnold 'Terminator' seeking to present as a Billy Joel & other forgettable fraudulent performances like the horny would-be mother-in-law & you've got the underlying motive of supposedly popular appeal this offering seeks to inflict upon its viewers. Come to think of it, maybe I could have rated it below 5 out of 10. Nice settings & occasionally humorous contributions don't deserved this, but it's mostly messaged to be expected several minutes before it arrives.
Probably best watched when you have had a few wines or beers & are seeking a meaningless encounter with the world you are seeking to keep at bay, or when the movie is just to be a harmless diversion in appropriate company you wish to set an optimistic & romantic atmosphere for. Your relationship, however trivial, will surely be of greater substance than this. As such, you may not be disappointed.