Down With Love [2003] [DVD]

Take it for what it is, pastiche, parody, shiny, glossy, dressed-up glamour and damn good fun, and you'll love this. Renee Zellweger really can play anything she puts her mind to, and I find it impossible to dislike her in this at all. Ewan does look great in the (for him, moderate) half-naked scenes in this, and he gets to show off the really pretty impressive singing voice he's acquired several times.

The plot is entertainingly twisty-turny enough to make me watch it again almost immediately, and the comedy, whilst derivative and often innuendo-ridden manages to be amusing because it's presented with an original spin in most cases.

I can't imagine regretting buying this, because there'll always be a time when chocolate and pyjamas and a night of easy-on-the-eye-and-mind viewing is required. All good, all round.

There are, incidentally, good extras on the video edition of this as well...

Renee Zellweger gives her facial muscles a work-out playing Barbara Novak, author of a new best selling self help book, for women, with the catchy title of the movie. Ewan McGregor plays Catcher Block, ladies man above all ladies men, hot shot expose journalist, who's out to prove Barbara wrong at all costs. Sarah Paulson is Barbara's pushy yet effective editor Vikki Hiller, and David Hyde Pierce recreates his Frazier character Niles all over again as Peter MacMannus, Catcher's neurotic editor.

Ewan McGregor plays a perfect sleaze-ball, but the scenes where he took off his shirt had me in fits of laughter over his total lack of tone. Unevenly growing body hair and scrawny frames may have been fashionable then, and may even excite some people now, but this girl prefers firm meat on the bones. (Hellooooo Will Smith in I, Robot)

Intentionally over-acted, perpetually silly and well seeded with funny bits, this movie had me chuckling in places, even though I had trouble swallowing the longest twist in the history of movies near the end.

It's more a 3.5 star movie, but for those grand entrances by Barbara Novak and Vikki Hiller, and that last sing and dance number, I'm prepared to round upwards.

Amanda Richards, April 22, 2005