Reese Witherspoon has been on a roll since Legally Blonde. But even while experimenting with movies like Vanity Fair, it seems like she has to survive on a staple diet of ’romcoms’.
What do you say about a romantic comedy? It is an unpatented formula that hardly fails. Here, surprisingly, it’s based on a novel and also has an interesting setup. The man moves into an apartment where he has to deal with a ’ghost’ claiming ownership.
After making peace and helping her out, the obvious happens. If you discount logic, the movie is enjoyable. The pace is a bit slow though. Despite the routine elements, a couple of characters are interesting. The humour is midway between the subtle stuff and the rip-roaring kind. The movie is pretty much clean too, one which the whole family can watch together. A little more attention to continuity would have been good.
Witherspoon is natural, though this won’t necessary end up as one of her top performances. Ruffalo is impressive, fitting easily into his depressed nice guy role. The supporting cast is adequate. Better music would have helped lift the movie one notch upwards. Special effects are used optimally.
This is no landmark movie, but it isn’t so commercial that it hurts the senses too. If you want to have a good time for an hour and half over the weekend, check this one out.
Bottom-line: Good time-pass movie.
Category: Romance / Comedy / Drama
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo
Music: Rolfe Kent
Direction: Mark Waters