Interestingly enough, this is not the tame, cuddly romantic comedy you might be expecting. Katherine Heigl, of Knocked Up, brings a similar sense of raunch to the picture. Gerard Butler, of 300, brings a similar sense of brute. The film is unapologetically brash, crass, and ugly in its truth, but still funny.

If you, like me, want to believe there can still exist in TV land somewhere, a news producer who believes in integrity, you'll appreciate Heigl's small-town homey view. Of course, her morning news show's rankings are tanking. So, managers bring in Butler, the vulgar, no holds barred, teller of the ugly truth. It's a new variation on an old formula. In fact, the film reminded me a bit of Shallow Hal with Jack Black.

Heigl and Butler are both bright, likeable and funny. The film, while thin and tacky, is well paced and graced with a modern peppy sound track. Despite the ages of the leads, the film plays to younger audiences, goes for the Judd Apatow crowd. Aside from the last minute resolution which subtracts both cinematically and thematically, the film moves along well enough and provides plenty of not-so-innocent laughs. It's a B-movie, really, but has a good share of yucks, so I'll give it B+.

The press kit included this cute quote from former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger: "Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy."

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --