(Review originally written at 12 August 2007)
I'm almost too ashamed to admit but I really enjoyed watching this movie. In all fairness it was a pretty good genre movie that works on both its drama and comedy levels.
It's a good genre movie, that is definitely better than your average romantic-comedy movie from the '90's and 2000's. Guess people's biggest beef with the movie is that it has Matthew Perry in it. People always have had a hard time seeing him in role different from his Chandler role in "Friends". And in all fairness, yes Matthew Perry really wasn't this movie strongest point. He approaches the character from a comical interval pretty much in the same way as his Chandler. The way he delivers his dialog, the way he moves, the way he looks through his eyes. It shows how limited his qualities as a comical actor really are. Good enough for his Chandler role but not for much else really I'm afraid. On top of that, it's really hard to believe that a woman such as Salma Hayek would actually really fall for a this sort of guy. Not the greatest screen chemistry but the director did a good job at filming around this, to still make the movie believable and likable enough.
Selma Hayek on the other hand was surprisingly great in her role. She normally doesn't do this romantic-comedy type of movies but I think this movie shows that she has got talent for it. As an actress she's perhaps a bit of an underrated and underrated person, though no people ever questioned her looks. She's so much more than just a great body and a pretty face. The movie further more also features a capable cast, that obviously feels at ease in the comedy genre.
The directing is refreshing and provides the movie with its own unique look and identity and the right required pace. Seems like the movie-makers really didn't wanted this movie to be just another formulaic genre piece. Comicaly the movie also works out with some good moments but the movie is also a well balanced mix of its comedy and the more serious and dramatic approach of things.
The story begins quite good and sweet but also definitely original. Too bad that in the last halve hour or so the movie still turns into a formulaic typical genre piece, when the movie starts to fall from the one cliché into another. The approach at first was good and the movie was mostly done in a non-formulaic way. It makes it all the more a shame that the last part of the movie somewhat downgrades the movie by its more predictable and generic elements and approach of it. Else I would had rated the movie even higher, no question about that, I enjoyed it that much.
Just give this movie a chance. Odds are you'll probably end up liking it.
7/10
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