Such plot as there is…

“The Wedding Planner”, starring the lovely Jennifer Lopez (well, that is to say, this film came out at a point when I still thought she was lovely) and ladies man Matthew McConaughey (well actually I don't know if he is, but I heard a few girls saying how cute he was so assume that he is such… and he plays much the same role in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), is a nice film. Not just good, not just funny, not even just enjoyable; it's plain nice. It's the sort of film you go away from thinking, “ah, wasn't that nice”.

Okay so I’m off my trolley…

Having convinced you all that I'm stark raving bonkers I'll attempt to explain what I mean. It's a tale of Wedding Planner Mary Fiore (Lopez) and her ability to organise the most romantic event of people's lives while at the same time being unable to get even a whiff of romance into her own life. That is, until she nearly gets run over by a dustbin and is saved by handsome doctor Steve Edison (McConaughey).

The plotline is fairly predictable, though it does manage a few surprises along the way. In a film like this which is very unlikely to have any really new ideas in it, how good the movie is really comes down to the performances of the actors / actresses. (I know it's more politically correct to call female thespians “actors” nowadays. But I hold to the old way by virtue of the new philosophy being entirely stupid.) In this case, the performances are very good. Both leads are convincing as they fall in love, find out the truth about each other, and then realise they're still in love despite everything. The supporting cast also do a good job, largely as foils but some, particularly Masimo, Mary's fiancé, provide some good laughs.

Round-up…

There’s nothing exceptional about this film, and nothing particularly bad about it either – the acting, cinematography, musical score, and story are all pretty good without exactly sparkling. So all in all what you have here is is a feel-good movie with the type of ending you'd expect. I suppose you could dissect it but it really isn't worth the effort; this is a good film, offers no real surprises but kind of works for the exact opposite reason as something like “Pay It Forward” did. It doesn't shock or upset you, doesn't leave you feeling as though you've been punched in the stomach, but that's because it's pure entertainment without a “message”. And as such it works very well. Recommended, particularly if you like the lead actress / actor anyway.

There are better romantic comedies out there, but there are also far worse ones. If you like the genre, you’ll like this. If not, you probably won’t think much of this either.

Links

Some other romantic comedies (all better than the one reviewed here):

Never Been Kissed - Drew Barrymore and David Arquette in a comedy about a reporter infiltrating a school to get a story, and reliving her childhood nightmare…

French Kiss - Kevin Kline with a surprisingly convincing French accent woos unhappy, flight-phobic Meg Ryan

Two Weeks Notice - Hugh Grant employs Sandra Bullock and gets a lot more than he bargained for…

About a Boy - Hugh Grant again, one of the best British comedies of all time. A lonely child and an eternal bachelor form an unlikely friendship…

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See also - Top Ten Romantic Comedies



Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12