Hey folks, Harry here... I'm glad ol Alexander liked DOWN WITH LOVE, I hope we all love it, because Peyton is going to be the guy that directs FANTASTIC FOUR... and he better have his shit together and be able to make us care and create that sense of love on screen... because in a great FANTASTIC FOUR movie we have to believe that Reed Richards and Sue Storm love one another, that Johnny Storm loves himself, and that Ben Grimm longs for love above all else. For THE FANTASTIC FOUR to be magic, they have to nail those aspects... the eye-candy, that's a given, the wizards at a number of visual effects house can give us that, but the soul and passion at the streching invisible flaming boulder of a heart that beats beneath those blue uniforms... That's what counts. At least to this card-carrying member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society!
Down With Love
Review by Alexander DeLarge
Hey Harry, here’s me again, bringing you another review after a loooong hiatus and quite frankly, I’ve got to say I’m happy it’s a good one. In this case, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of Down With Love, a film by Peyton Reed (of Bring it On fame), penned by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake II.
This homage to 1960s sex comedies stars Ewan McGregor as Catcher Block, a womanizing journalist with a killer pad who wants to expose celebrity author Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger) whose book “Down With Love” has caused a feminist rage all over the world.
Since the main thesis of Novak’s book is based around the idea of women finding liberation and equality by enjoying sex “like men do” and that the only way to achieve this is by refusing to fall in love, “nice” women who’ll settle for love and marriage are becoming a rare breed, to the exasperation of the men in the story.
After things get a bit personal between Novak and Block and she makes a nasty remark (in national television, no less), Block decides to embark on a quest to make her fall for him, thus showing the world what a fake she is.
The story may sound a bit like your usual romantic comedy, but stay with me. What set things film apart is not in the set up, but in the execution.
First of all, I must be honest. I frankly kept reading all these things about the movie being charged with sexual innuendo and the idea sort of made me cringe. After the first sex joke fell flat (to my ears, at least, the whole theatre chuckled) I was already mentally shoving the innuendo into my “bad” column for my review, but to my pleasant surprise, the rest of the sex jokes are actually very well timed and very funny.
You see, one of the virtues of this film is that it has some very good running jokes, but unlike most films, it doesn’t rely on them or milk them desperately until they become tiresome (I’m looking at you, Austin Powers).
The film is just one of those movies that utterly “clicks” together in every sense. 95% of the lines hit the nail right in the head. This is scriptwriting at it’s most precise. There is an amazingly simple sequence showing both main characters getting ready for a date to the tune of different versions of “Fly me to the moon” that has a wonderful, kinetic energy about it. Also, Down With Love has the best use of split screen in recent memory.
Renee Zellweger is luminous in this part. It is perfect-casting. She plays her role with absolute charm and, most importantly, dimension. There is not much else I could say about that.
However, it’s Ewan who astonishes.
Here’s a prediction for you. After this and Moulin Rouge, Ewan McGregor should become a certifiable hunk of a romantic lead that gives any other romantic lead ever a run for his money. This is no Hugh Grant skit, ladies and gentlemen. This is a real actor and if all women fall in love with him after this, I’m not even gonna get mad. Despite the occasional throwaway roles (such as in Black Hawk Down), McGregor is the most interesting young actor in his generation. From Jedi, to singer, to druggie, to romantic lead, the guy can do it all. He basically plays a dual role here, and his utterly effortless transformation is very effective, and very funny.
The supporting cast is equally strong. David Hyde Pierce is fantastic, playing a heightened version of his Niles Crane character, only with much better lines. There is also a couple of SNL alumni; Rachel Dracht has a small role as Barbara’s secretary and Chris Parnell has a cameo as a variety show host who interviews Novak about her book.
The best thing about this film is, we think we know where the plot is going but the last 20 minutes hit us like a brick to the face, and it’s a damn great brick. I would really recommend you check out Down With Love. It’s an inspired, laudable, out-and-out virtuosic, exceptional, admirable, valuable & amazing film. It is a crowd pleaser in the level of Catch Me If You Can, and an example of what every romantic comedy should aspire to be.
Romantic and fun.
Alexander DeLarge
P.S. As always, I’ll ask for your forgiveness for my faulty English. It is my second language. And Ava...I love you.
