Author's Note--Could there be a more intriguing way to review this movie than from the perspective of a sex surrogate, a therapist, her patient and a real ladies' man? Join them as they accidentally meet while on dates. Previously Dr. Freudine's nemesis, Jan, gave David The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Art of Seduction, but has he been able to read it and take it to heart? Will he need the doctor's advice? Or Irish's??
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I hear the melodic doorbell and check myself in the mirror a last time. Irish is picking me up for a movie like a real date and he actually is only a few minutes late! He's doubleparked, out of breath and anxious to get going without a kiss, though (welcome back to reality).

As we're scoping the titles of movies playing, he's not really interested in any, but when I notice Down With Love with Ewan MacGregor and Renee Zellweger at a lower-priced theater, he laughs.

"Now there's a movie I never expected you to want to see. Isn't it supposed to be like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, sort of?"

I stare. "I've heard it's more like a MGM musical in style, but these are better comic actors even if it is. Let's go, okay?" And so we do and guess who waits in line inside for refreshments--none other than my sharp-looking, rather jittery client, David, on his pseudo date with Miss Cunengonde, the sex surrogate. Surely they aren't seeing Down With Love, I marvel, but they are! We promise to meet afterwards.

Inside the lights fade and I settle in while Irish buys some popcorn and picks up glasses of water. Right away it reveals itself in the playful opening credits as a silly romantic comedy spoofing the popular 60s movies with Doris Day and Rock Hudson like Pillow Talk, especially.

As the movie begins, Irish sinks down in the comfy seat next to me and hands me my water. The story is that a pretty, young woman (played to the hilt by Renee Zellweger and parodying feminist editor/author Gloria Steinem) has published a feminist book, Down With Love, and with her female publisher tries to sell it to New York City in 1962. After experiencing little interest from bookstores, they decide that the hip KNOW magazine for sophisticated men should want to interview the author of a book about women becoming addicted to chocolate instead of love and as sophisticated and free-wheeling as men.

But their star writer, ladies' man Catcher Block (Ewan MacGregor struts his stuff with a few penis jokes thrown in), isn't interested in a woman who sounds like something the cat dragged in, though he patronizingly pretends to be while taking rainchecks. She finally lets him have it and her book starts becoming the "in" book with women to his great dismay. Now women aren't falling all over him, but looking after themselves and building careers.

From then on it's a silly, predictable romance with both falling for the other when they finally meet, but Catcher pretends to be his best friend who isn't really an astronaut, but the nice, boring guy he works for (think of Tony Randall's role in those 60s' movies and who here has a bit role), so that he can expose her as a disbeliever in her book when she falls for him.

It's so much funnier than How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days. Not only because of its spoofing cleverness through dialogue, story, actors, set and photography, but because of the stylish, charming appeal of it. I hardly pay attention to the popcorn and water; I spurted it out once and that was embarrassing enough! Afterwards we eagerly catch up with yapping David and a smiling Miss Cunengonde.

"Hey guys," I break in. "So what did you think?"

David glances at me, then Irish, but ignores his date. "I'll be first to say that it was completely insane and was supposed to be. MacGregor can't play an American all that well, but it was meant to satirize silly romantic comedies from the 60s and it did so very cutely."

"I agree," Miss Cunengonde murmurs, "but it wasn't insane like it made no sense..."

"Good point! I mean, well-said. That's what I, um, meant," David fumbles. I exchange smiles with a very laidback Irish, quite the opposite of my client.

"Well, I liked it, too," I chime in. "The actors had a lot to do with it, being so comfortable with acting like cartoon characters, if not an American in MacGregor's case, and their chemistry was palpable. Not only Zellweger and MacGregor as they try not to fall in love, but can't wait to see each other again like school kids with their first crush. Also feminist editor Sarah Paulsen and neurotic editor David Hyde Pierce as the best friends who follow in their footsteps."

We all look hopefully at Irish. He grins, glancing upwards for inspiration perhaps. "I really dug the part where Catcher and Barbara are on the phone and the screen splits so they appear to be having sex when he's doing push-ups and she's on the floor in their own apartments."

"Oh, I dug that part, too," David rushes in with. "It's not some sweet, innocent Doris Day movie, not just a chic flick. It's rated PG-13 for the sexual jokes and scenes like that. Like they pretend to be people they're not, old-fashioned in Catcher's case and a feminist author in Barbara's case, but we the audience know what they're really thinking! I kept wishing I could be as smooth as Catcher..."

"I just knew you would think that!" I exult. "And Miss Cunengonde knew you would enjoy the sexual innuendo, so she suggested Down With Love when all she was hoping for was Down, Boy, Down." I laugh in a friendly, yet challenging way.

"Well, damn, aren't you hilarious...," Miss Cunengonde bristles. Irish whistles a time-out. I suddenly flush when I remember I'm on a date.

"Let's just sum it up," he drawls, "by calling it a snappy British-like romantic comedy set in a fake-looking New York backdrop with a full moon leaping into the night sky. We had fun laughing at how love makes us feel and act. There's sure nothing wrong with identifying with the characters. If we don't, there's something downright inhuman about us. Shall we go now, Doc?"

I feel about two feet tall. All I can do is look down, nod and exit the empty theater lobby with him. Did we, maybe, just now sound like Barbara and Catcher or have we, at least I, always sounded so ridiculous?

Director: Peyton Reed
Writers: Eve Ahlert, Dennis Drake
Length: 101 minutes
Rated: PG-13


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD