Product: Someone Like You [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 4.0
Surprisingly funny!
"Someone Like You" has everything you'd expect out of a romantic comedy: a woman's approach to the male gender, likeable characters played by even more likeable actors, and a plot that is so fluffy and lightweight it could almost take flight. We've seen all of this done before in many other movies, with many other likeable characters and so on and so forth, but rarely has all of this ever been done so enjoyably well.To be honest, I liked the movie. I liked it for its high spirits even as its characters are depressed; I liked it for its ability to make me laugh a sufficient amount of the running time so that my attention to it was undiminished; I particularly enjoyed the fact that it doesn't attempt to be anything more or less than a sunny little romance movie, which makes its charm even more appealing.The film is definitely a woman's movie, to be sure. It stars Ashley Judd as talk show scout Jane Goodale, who becomes enraptured with feelings of undying love for hunky new producer Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear). She learns that he has a girlfriend, but that doesn't stop him from inviting her out on walks, spending time with her, and finally getting romantically involved with her. Just as they are about to move in together, after six weeks of dating, he dumps her, unable to handle the stress of dumping his old girlfriend.This sends Jane into a frenzy, who turns to the world of animal husbandry to find a reason for why her relationships never work out. Her comments become an instant success among women, though her identity is kept a secret. In effect, her comments about the behavior of the male species are her way of constructing a defense mechanism against coping with the rejection she has faced.Not everyone agrees with her on her points, most notably her new roommate, Eddie (Hugh Jackman), who brings new meaning to the word "womanizer." Or at least that's how it appears on the outside; as Eddie and Jane get to know one another better, they unknowingly begin to help one another out. Jane soon learns that her defense strategy won't help her out in the long run, while Eddie realizes that there is something true to being in a relationship, if you find the right person.There's nothing new to the plot or the material; we've seen it all before. People meeting, getting together, breaking up and blaming the entire opposite gender... anyone recall such films as "One Fine Day" and "What Women Want?" None of this would work if it weren't for the adept use of humor and refreshment to keep us going with the story. Elizabeth Chandler's script isn't original, but it's not boring, either, and gives old tactics a fresh feel.This is all made possible by the charming and spunky performances from the cast, featuring some very quirky work from Ashley Judd, who spends much of the movie running around in a frenzy. Her smile could brighten up any movie, and she brings a lot of warmth and charm to her role. She also shares an ever-present chemistry with lead actors Greg Kinnear and Hugh Jackman; Kinnear plays his role just as it needs to be: like a sap. Jackman is the ideal "slut," and his sparring sessions with Judd provide some very comical laughter. Not only that, but you believe in the sparks between them as well.In a long line of mature comedies that take on the battle of the sexes, "Someone Like You" comes up a winner. It has spontaneity and wit, is full of charm and breezy laughter, and in the end, even if all you had left were the actors and their ability to keep us entertained by their characters' grief and shenanigans, this would still be a very refreshing hit.