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Director: Richard LaGravenese

Starring: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, Harry Connick Jr., Kathy Bates, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Writer/director Richard LaGravenese (Freedom Writers) takes Cecelia Ahern’s novel and re-teams with Hilary Swank to make a formula film that should come with a warning for diabetics and people on sugar-reduced diets. It is overly sentimental (thus, making it on par with the genre) and has unconvincing characters, a few good lines and average performances to create a completely forgettable film.

P.S. I Love You starts with the seemingly mismatched couple of uptight Holly (Hilary Swank, still sporting her Million Dollar Baby abs) and charismatic and saintly Gerry (Gerard Butler from 300) having an argument. After we are shown how perfect he is, we flash to the scene of his wake. Holly is crushed and lapses into a shell, hiding from her friends, Denise and Sharon (Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon) and mother (Kathy Bates) until she gets a letter from her deceased loved one. We watch flashbacks of their relationship as Gerry guides Holly back into an even improved life with lots of ‘awwww’ moments and a few laughs.

P.S. I Love You is the kind of movie that raises the performance expectations for us poor real world guys by creating irritatingly perfect male characters. Women love these motion pictures. Comparative films bring The Notebook and all it’s clones to mind. For guys, there are a few funny lines and lots of scenes of Hilary Swank looking good.

Director: George Clooney

Starring: George Clooney, Rene Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Root, Keith Loneker

Is George Clooney going through some kind of middle-aged nostalgia craze? Like The Good German, Leatherheads is a semi-successful attempt to re-capture the charm of a movie-making era long past. This time out, Clooney takes a shot at old-fashioned romantic comedies with one set at the dawn of the modern age of pro football, in 1925. There is plenty of spiffy dialog that loses a little in it’s overly-quick, too polished delivery, and usually results in a smile rather than a laugh. Clooney is, well exactly as Clooney is in most of his films. He is glib and charming and always seems to have a half smile on his face. Rene Zellweger overacts, as she often does and her unnaturally thin frame is really starting to look disturbingly mismatched with her round face. Her friends and family really need to dispatch an ambulance and rush her to the nearest White Castle for a bag of burgers. The story is mediocre formula work, that seems rushed and doesn’t always make sense, but isn’t too bad. Clooney’s direction does a commendable job of creating an idealized, stereotypical 1920s ‘aw shucks’ kind of setting, and is aided by Randy Newman‘s jazzy score. However the pace here is a trifle too fast and the characters don‘t always work, leaving me with the final impression that something was missing.

George Clooney is Dodge Connelly, an aging athlete, as well as some kind of manager/investor, who seems broke at one point, but somehow sells a watch or something and suddenly seems to have enough cash to run a team in the struggling young sport of pro football. His plan for success in this venture hinges on recruiting a college star, war hero named Carter ‘Bullet” Rutherford (John Krasinski), who is represented by a cliched snake of an agent, CC Frazier (Jonathan Pryce). Swishing into the picture, as well is an all too cocky, smirking female reporter named Lexie Littleton (Rene Zellweger) who is out to investigate Carter’s war hero claim. Oh yeah, Dodge also has some kind of issue with the growing number of rules in his evolving game. Leatherheads also offers up some trying-to-be-zany football scenes, but it’s been done before and done better.

Imagine Bull Durham set in the 1920s with a less-effective story revolving around football instead of baseball, and you have the closest comparison I can make for Leatherheads. Its interesting, but not interesting enough and tries to be funny, but isn’t funny enough. In the end, this seems like a film that I should like more than I did, but I don’t so I won’t be likely to see it again and I’m already forgetting it faster than Bullet’s legs and Dodge’s dialog.

Director: David Schwimmer

Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Harish Patel, Matthew Fenton

Writer/actor Simon Pegg split off from Edgar Wright, his partner from Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, to work with David Schwimmer from Friends, on this more mainstream romanatic comedy. There is a decent, but painfully predictable story to work with, and the talented cast pulls out some laughs, but in the end, there is little here to pull this romantic, race comedy ahead of the pack.

Simon Pegg is Dennis, and the story starts out five years earlier on his wedding day to the lovely, and pregnant, Libby, played by the lovely Thandie Newton. Poor Dennis feels overwhelmed, unfortunately, and instead of taking his vows, he takes the window and is last seen sprinting for safety. Fast forward five years and Dennis is prospering (not!) as a security guard at a woman’s lingerie store and has a relationship with his son, but regrets blowing things with Libby, who has hooked up with Whit, a handsome, successful hedge fund manager, who even runs marathons for charity. Who doesn’t feel awkward meeting their ex’s new bang boy? It is truly one of life’s most unpleasant moments, already, but what hope can Dennis have for winning back the woman he loves from a guy with such a cool name?

Run Fat Boy Run is a thoroughly entertaining, and completely forgettable British comedy. It should be good enough to get Schwimmer some more work, though, and it is nice to see a comedy that doesn’t come from the Apatow/Rogan Hollywood laugh machine.

Director: Adam Brooks

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Kline, Derek Luke

Writer/director, Adam Brooks has cleverly combined romantic comedy with a bit of light mystery to come up with a pretty good story, that holds the viewer’s interest, but could have been punched up with some more jokes. The acting is solid by the entire cast, including pretty boy, Ryan Reynolds who may just turn into a bankable lead, yet. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) is excellent once again, though the light script didn’t give her much of a challenge.

Ryan Reynolds is Will Hayes, a divorced ad executive, who goes to pick up his eleven year old daughter, Maya from school, only to find that a sex education class has made her inordinately curious about her father’s dating past and his relationship with her mother. Will eventually agrees to tell her the story of his three great loves, but on the condition that he change their names and not tell Maya which one would actually become her mother. Thus, we are launched into flashbacks of Will’s romantic past which includes his college sweetheart, Emily (Elizabeth Banks), a quirky copy girl named April (Isla Fisher), and a free spirited writer named Summer (Rachel Weisz). The whole thing is light romance that builds to a contrived, but satisfying, finish.

Definitely Maybe is a pleasant, well-made chick flick that will serve as two hours of refreshing entertainment, but will likely not be remembered by the time you see another film. When making a film like this, I think the rule to go by is ‘make us laugh, or make us cry’. “Definitely Maybe” doesn’t do either.

Director: Andy Tennant

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena, Ray Winstone, Ewen Bremner, Kevin Hart, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Brian Hooks

Co-writer/director, Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch), is back in the rom-com business again with this romantic/comedy adventure film that is blessed with some beautiful, Caribbean scenery, and saddled with a variable speed formula story that roars forward with exhilaration at times, and falls back into a putt-putt, check-your-watch, pace at others. Matthew McConaughey is at home as a charming underachiever, but Kate Hudson doesn’t always seem to know how to play his frustrated soon-to-be ex-wife. The direction is similarly erratic with some nice shots while others seem rushed, and the action often falls flat.

Matthew McConaughey is an irresponsible, but charming, treasure hunter, named Finn, who starts out pretty down on his luck when he accidentally sinks his own boat. This puts him in deadly debt to a silly gangsta rap crew lead by Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart). As if this isn’t enough, his estranged wife, and former treasure hunting companion, Tess (Kate Hudson), is divorcing him. Fate (and coincidental cinema at its best) intervenes, however, to land Finn on Tess’ employer’s boat, and soon his passion and charm has won over her bored billionaire boss, Nigel (Donald Sutherland) and his dippy, socialite daughter, Gemma, and the well-appointed yacht is turned around to go on a treasure hunt. There are, of course, others after the treasure as well, including partner-turned rival, Moe (the voice of Beowulf).

I rather enjoyed Fool’s Gold, probably for the same reasons that I like Overboard (coincidentally starring Kate’s Mom, Goldie Hawn) and, to a lesser extent, Cocktail. There are obscenely expensive boats and a lavish lifestyle that I can’t even afford to buy a magazine about, beautiful paradise settings and attractive women in bathing suits. If the preview leads you to believe that you won’t like it, then you won’t. It is exactly what it appears to be. If, however, you just want some light, fluffy fare that will make you wish for a hot holiday in some island country with steel drums, overpriced girly drinks and under priced beer, then you can probably look past the flaws here, (and there are many), enough to enjoy a two hour Caribbean getaway.

Director: Robin Swicord

Starring: Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Zegers, Marc Blucas

As both writer and director, Robin Swicord took Karen Joy Fowler’s novel and turned it first into a very clever screenplay and then, with the help of some very talented performers, made an entertaining movie. Watching it along with me, was an almost all female audience, most of whom looked old enough to remember when Jane Austen was on the best seller list. The dialog was strong and the characters were interesting and the film had a high energy level for a romantic drama, though the whole thing does play a little like a Penguin ad for the Jane Austen Classics Collection.

This story revolves around five women and one man who get together once a month to discuss one of Jane Austen’s books. Kathy Baker is Bernadette, a strong older woman living life by her own rules, who organizes the club to help her friend, Sylvia (Brennemen) get over a heartbreak. Sylvia’s lesbian daughter, Allegra (Maggie Grace) joins to support her mom, as does Sylvia’s friend, Jocelyn (Maria Bello), who brings along a young man she just met (Hugh Dancy), in hopes of playing matchmaker. A fragile, and strange, young married teacher played by Emily Blunt in a performance that still stands out in this very well-acted film, rounds out the group. As the group works its way through the Austen library, their own love lives parallel the classic writer’s storylines. I have only read one Austen book, but even for a literary neophyte like me, this plot device is apparent and entertaining.

No doubt about it, stamp Chick Flick on the box an send it off to off to Oxygen: The Women’s Cable Station for a bi-monthly airing. This is a chick flick, but it is also an impressive piece of light-hearted dramatic screenwriting and a forum for talented actresses (thosewhose last names begin with the letter ‘B’, it seems). Austen lovers, as well as fans of romantic drama will find this film well worth their hard earned pesos, and significantly better than this years’ earlier Austen effort, “Becoming Jane”.

Director: Francois Girard

Starring: Michael Pitt, Kiera Knightley, Alfred Molina, Koji Yakusho, Sei Ashina

Writer/director Francois Girard, of The Red Violin Fame, based this screenplay on Alessandro Baricco’s novel and has created a beautiful, but painfully slow, period piece. The scenes here are beautiful, but often have a dark and morose feel, that is compounded by lead Michael Pitt’s slow speaking style and the languid piano score. The characters are not developed enough to the viewer to really care what happens to them and, while the story held my interest for a time, it was just too damn slow and had lost most of my attention before its big finish.

Michael Pitt (no relation to that other Pitt, acting guy), is a young Frenchman named Herve Joncour, who finds himself recruited to become a silkworm trader in for his partner, Baldabiou (Alfred Molina). This profitable, but difficult business sends Joncour on several long journeys to Japan, taking him away from his professed love, Helene, played by Kiera Knightley, who is yet to make a film that I really like. Oh well, a lot of people really liked those Pirate movies, I guess. Anyway, Herve travels back and forth to Japan a few times and forms some kind of relationships with a powerful Japanese ruler, Hara Jubie (Koji Yakusho) and an un-named servant played by Sei Ashina. I never really quite bought into any of the character relationships here, and in a film like this, that is a big problem.

Beauiful camera work and pretty good performances here, but unless you are a dedicated fan of period pieces like Seven Years in Tibet (with that other Pitt guy), you are likely to find this one too slow, without a really engrossing story to carry you along its uphill path. Some may like it, but for me, this comes a distant second to a good nap. Come to think of it, it can help you to have one of those.

Director: Christopher Cain

Starring: Trent Ford, Tamara Hope, Jon Voight, Huntley Ritter, Shaun Johnston

This Romeo and Juliet style western is set against a vicious, but apparently true, story. The version here doesn’t feel balanced or completely convincing to me, so I’m not sure how much veracity it should be given. I will judge the movie, not the historical accuracy. The direction is average and the performances are likewise, though Voight is good in a supporting role. The dialog is lackluster and the story unclearly jumps back and forth, before leading to a difficult ending.

The year is 1857 and a group of settlers, including the beautiful Emily Hudson, is making its way to California, when their trail through Utah bring them into a surly group of Mormons, lead by Jacob (Jon Voight), who finally deigns to allow the wagon train to stop to rest in their territory for a couple of weeks. In that time, young Emily is smitten by Jacob’s son, Jonathan, while the Mormons find their opinion of their guests slowly changing.

While not a horrible film, there is nothing particularly appealing to recommend it, while there are so many good choices out there. I am a movie reviewer, and a fan of westerns, so I gave it a view. There is no reason why you should have to.

Director: Robert Benton,

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Stana Katic, Alexa Davalos, Toby Hemingway, Fred Ward, Billy Burke, Missi Pyle

Feast of Love is a slice of life relationship drama by the director of Kramer vs. Kramer, Robert Benton. The story trots out all kinds of tired cliches, gets far-fetched, and is often grim, as it opens up subplots that aren’t developed, but the dialog is natural, and convincing, and is helped along by a talented cast. There are a lot of characters, however, and cutting back would have allowed deeper focus, and more emotional investment by the audience, giving impact to the story. If we barely know the character, why do we care? Still, Benton handles the many characters well, never lets things get confusing, and does create an engrossing, if forgettable drama, that could have used some lighter moments to offset the dark ones.

Morgan Freeman is Harry, a happily married, perceptive professor with his own pain, who narrates this drama, as he bemusedly watches love, and life, play out its little game in several relationships from his seat at a Portland coffee shop. Owner, Bradley (Greg Kinnear), sees his marriage crash in the tangled wreckage of a lesbian affair, before finding someone new, who has secrets of her own. His employee, Oscar (Toby Hemingway), finds love with Chloe (Alexa Davalos), while his drunken father interferes.

Fans of mellow-dramatic relationship pictures will find a large slice of life, and plenty of pathos in this Feast of Love. This multi-storied, romantic formula has been used so many times, it always feels like you have seen the films before. I don’t mind these kinds of films, but they are best, when they are more focused, and lightened up by some humor, or amusing characters. You have seen this one before. Many were better, and many were worse, but you already know if you are going to enjoy it, when you press play.

Director: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Alicia Keyes, Nicholas Art, Chris Evans, Paul Giamatti.

The Nanny Diaries is a simple semi-romantic comedy, that does manage find an amusing way to tell a pretty mundane story. The lead character is an anthropology grad and tells the story in the form of a cultural study of the ‘tribe’ of rich mothers on the NYC’s Upper East Side. Scarlett Johansson is a little band in the lead role, but not without appeal. Laura Linney is stronger as the self absorbed blue-blood who acts as if she is competing with Meryl’s Streep’s devilish Miranda Priestly character for the world’s worst boss (Miranda easily retains her title). The story is predictable and is a little short on laughs, but is still enjoyable enough.

Scarlett Johansson is Annie Braddock, a recent college grad who, feeling unable to deal with the pressures of a fast-paced work environment, decides to take an easy job as a nanny looking after a spoiled but sad little boy named Grayer (Nicholas Art). Unfortunately, she soon learns that there is nothing easy about working for Grayer’s mother, Mrs. X. Mrs. X is played by Laura Linney, who is appalling believable as a woman whose mission in life seems to be as self-absorbed, controlling and condescending as is possible in any country with a functioning justice system. Paul Giamatti is wasted in a small role as Mr. X and Chris Evans is just kind of there as a boring romantic interest known as ‘Harvard Hottie’.

This movie is rather overplayed and Johansson’s doormat character can be frustrating to watch (God, why doesn’t she just tell that b***h to go to h*** already???), but still there is enough here to be entertain for a hundred minutes or so. for those who enjoy light comedy.