I must confess it’s hard to write these reviews this week because I’m very focused on another media event: the Hawaii beachside premiere of hit TV show Lost tomorrow! What a great experience that show has been—a tremendous 6-year-ride of mind-boggling mystery, compelling characterization, and philosophical pondering. But I digress.
This is the week of the chick flick, as I went to see It’s Complicated and When in Rome.
It’s Complicated stars Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, and Steve Martin in the story of a woman who must juggle strange relationships with her ex and a new man at the same time. Streep is as captivating as ever, and Baldwin gets a lot of laughs mostly because people are picturing his 30 Rock character. And, it is a movie that glorifies beauty in old age—I do have to give it that. But it was ultimately unmemorable and it made me squirm to see adults acting so immature.
When in Rome could have starred anyone and been about anything. It is the color-by-numbers of romantic comedies and should definitely be skipped. I would describe watching it as taking a long soak in a hot tub while having needles shoved up under your fingernails. In other words, any time you tried to give the movie the benefit of the doubt and sink into a moment, it would jar you awake with a pratfall or cliché.
If you want to see a slightly deeper, wiser chick flick, try Stepmom or The Family Stone or When a Man Loves a Woman.
For sheer fun, try Mean Girls or Clueless.
And for the well-made romantic comedy or “rom-com,” try The Proposal, Maverick, or My Best Friend’s Wedding.
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