BEFORE: Birthday SHOUT-out #13 goes to Jane Seymour (last seen in "Somewhere in Time"), born 2/15/51. And Bradley Cooper carries over from last night's film, as I continue the transition from films about awkward relationships to films about awkward dating.
THE PLOT: A pair of committed womanizers who sneak into weddings to take advantage of the romantic tinge in the air, find themselves at odds with one another when one meets and falls for a cabinet member's daughter.
AFTER: Well, the first half of the film is solid, the premise is comedy gold as these two D.C. area guys work the wedding circuit. The theory goes, single women are at their horniest and most desperate at wedding receptions - plus there's alcohol, dancing, food and good times. What could go wrong? All these guys need is a cover story and a mental playbook, and they can romance a different girl every night.
But the third act moves to the vacation home of the bride's father, as the two men try to romance his other daughters, and that's where their plan (and the movie) starts to unravel. I guess there wasn't enough conflict or dramatic opportunity at a wedding reception - but in leaving the party circuit, these Don Juans break their own rules.
Things get more muddled and less comedic (except for some very violent slapstick), and the crazy family is just TOO crazy.
Further offenses include what seems to be a great deal of improvised dialogue, not a good thing when Vince Vaughn is involved. I'm pretty burnt out on Vaughn after watching "Four Christmases" and "Fred Claus", and now I have to decide whether to add "The Break-Up" and "Couples Retreat" to the list. Hmmm, let me get back to you on that, Vince.
Points for using Will Ferrell in a small role, but essentially his bits go nowhere. Still, being funny, or at least amusing, goes a long way. And there is some character development once these guys realize that there is more to a relationship than dining, dancing and romancing. Both eventually learn to have grown-up relationships outside the reception hall, which is a moral that sort of ties in with last night's film.
NITPICK POINT: References are made to "wedding season", which one would assume to be May and June - but we all know that weddings can happen year-round. Nice try, though.
NITPICK POINT #2: It's a bit of a cheat to have an obscure numbered set of rules that these guys have memorized - what do you know, there just happens to be a rule for every possible situation!
Also starring Owen Wilson (last seen in "I Spy"), Christopher Walken (last seen in "Catch Me If You Can"), Rachel McAdams (last seen in "The Time Traveler's Wife"), Isla Fisher, with cameos from Henry Gibson, Dwight Yoakam, Rebecca DeMornay, James Carville and John McCain. Oh, and Ellen Dow (last seen in "The Wedding Singer"), 87 years young at the time - still getting work!
RATING: 6 out of 10 bottles of champagne
No comments:
Post a Comment