Ashley Judd, dejected, rejected, and neglected by
men in general, seeks some commiseratory theory with
which to explain away the enigmatic query, "Why can't
men commit?" She finds her
comforting hypothesis in cows ... bulls, more
accurately. Bulls, tired of old cows, scan greener
pastures for greener heifers - so she discovers.
"Monogamy isn't in their genes!"
Greg Kinnear is the gentle, expressive,
touchy-feely love-interest, while the actor (Jackman)
who played Wolverine from the X-Men movie
appropriately personifies the animal-man theory. He's
absolutely shameless about his sexuality, yet subtly
sweet; a well-drawn character brought to life by a
strong actor.
Speaking of acting and writing, "Someone Like You"
employs professionals. The dialogue and relationships
move the production warmly, confidently, and
entertainingly from beginning to end, where,
surprisingly the picture's prowess wanes.
Though definitely predictable, this climax still
could have soared. There would have been no avoiding
the schmaltz - so splashing around in it a while
ought to have been the prescription. Instead, the
peak feels truncated with an unnecessarily cliche
appendage. A respectable resolution follows,
however.
Instead of just dabbling in obsessive psycho
behavior, a more acutely de-stabilized Judd would
have backed the fluff with muscle (perhaps exhibiting
job-threatening surreal delusional episodes).
And those kisses! As a romantic-comedy, audiences
expect kisses. Disappointingly, these tight-lipped
pecks belie the chemistry built up between our
big-screen lovers.
Ah, but high quality scenes populate most of the
film, like the one in which an obsessive forlorn Judd
petitions a surgeon to remove nasal glands that link
her sense of smell with memories. She begins the
consultation calm collected and civilized, but in
just one short minute and what seems like one breath,
explains her plight to tears. Finely directed.
The star power and direction iron out the
wrinkles. If you're up for a light romantic-comedy,
you'll have a fine time.
Click here for my
rewritten ending (warning it's a
spoiler!).
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