Egads. There are utterly predictable movies that are still made within the lines of expectation in a well-constructed and amusing way. And then there are utterly predictable movies that are terrible, silly, stupid, pointless and just plain bad (not bad in a good way). Sadly, this movie falls into the latter category. From it's concept this movie could look good - but it doesn't. The movie has a stunningly appealing cast - Hugh Dancy, Kristin Scott Thomas (the best thing in the movie), Wendie Malick, Joan Cusack, Krysten Ritter, Leslie Bibb, Clea Lewis, Julie Hagerty, John Lithgow, Christine Ebersole, Lynn Redgrave - which it mostly does nothing with, and shoots poorly. It's a loss in pretty much every way. Throw in the things that leave you confused (Ms. Cusack is playing Isla Fisher's mother?), and the things that are just out and out flat (Dancy and Fisher have no chemistry), and the best efforts of Mr. Dancy and the impressive supporting cast can't save this movie. There are a couple of inspired moments - setting a magazine empire in the new Hearst Building, Stephen Guarion's fairy (ahem) godmotherish receptionist who puts the film in motion - but on the whole this thing can't be saved from the writing, the direction (though I liked Hogan's Peter Pan), an unappealing central character, and the fact that one is likely to spend the first half of the movie wishing it really did star Amy Adams since Ms. Fisher is trying so hard to play it like someone thinks Amy Adams might.
Posted by armand at July 4, 2009 12:37 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Movies