Its a testament to the beguiling, natural charms of Katherine Heigl that I still like her and wish her well on the road to inevitable superstardom. This is in spite of having to sit thru her new movie '27 Dresses'.
If the industry predictions are right and Heigl is destined for Julia Roberts-style zeitgeist popularity, the mantle '27 Dresses' will occupy is easy to predict. 'Knocked Up' will be remembered as Heigl's 'Pretty Woman' - a surprise smash that introduced her as an instantly likable, utterly lovely bigscreen presence; '27 Dresses' will be Heigl's 'Sleeping With The Enemy' - a tired, uninspired, button-pushing mess, overseen by the actresses agents and managers to ensure their property becomes a big star sooner rather than later.
As the eternal bridesmaid having to endure her younger sisters nuptials to the man she's longed for, Heigl glows on screen but is reduced for much of the film to a simpering sourpuss. The director, Step Up's Anne Fletcher, shoots her stars (including a lifeless Edward Burns, Malin Akerman, a criminally-wasted Judy Greer and a frankly insufferable James Marsden) in static midshots, as well reducing the romantic allure of New York to subdued hues and bland framing.
Most frustrating is the complete lack of chemistry between the leads, compounded by long-winded, talky scenes that should bounce and end with a laugh, in true romcom tradition, but instead drag on and peter out into nothingness.
I'm going to assume that the message of the film is lost on me - all I took from the film was, no matter how beautiful and intelligent you are, you are only really complete as a woman when you find a man that makes you happy. I know its not the first romcom to espouse such traditional values, but its the first in a long-time to labour the point so heavy-handedly.
Points go to the costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas for the 27 dresses of the title - they display the sense of fun, absurdity and spark of originality that the film as a whole sorely needed.
I expect '27 Dresses' will open huge and turn Heigl from the small-screen IT-girl into the star she promises to be. But the star wont really shine until she finds a project that defines and enhances her on screen appeal, not just exploits it in the name of a bland, lifeless, calling-card film, shamelessly structured by suits to launch the 'Katherine Heigl' brand.
If the industry predictions are right and Heigl is destined for Julia Roberts-style zeitgeist popularity, the mantle '27 Dresses' will occupy is easy to predict. 'Knocked Up' will be remembered as Heigl's 'Pretty Woman' - a surprise smash that introduced her as an instantly likable, utterly lovely bigscreen presence; '27 Dresses' will be Heigl's 'Sleeping With The Enemy' - a tired, uninspired, button-pushing mess, overseen by the actresses agents and managers to ensure their property becomes a big star sooner rather than later.
As the eternal bridesmaid having to endure her younger sisters nuptials to the man she's longed for, Heigl glows on screen but is reduced for much of the film to a simpering sourpuss. The director, Step Up's Anne Fletcher, shoots her stars (including a lifeless Edward Burns, Malin Akerman, a criminally-wasted Judy Greer and a frankly insufferable James Marsden) in static midshots, as well reducing the romantic allure of New York to subdued hues and bland framing.
Most frustrating is the complete lack of chemistry between the leads, compounded by long-winded, talky scenes that should bounce and end with a laugh, in true romcom tradition, but instead drag on and peter out into nothingness.
I'm going to assume that the message of the film is lost on me - all I took from the film was, no matter how beautiful and intelligent you are, you are only really complete as a woman when you find a man that makes you happy. I know its not the first romcom to espouse such traditional values, but its the first in a long-time to labour the point so heavy-handedly.
Points go to the costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas for the 27 dresses of the title - they display the sense of fun, absurdity and spark of originality that the film as a whole sorely needed.
I expect '27 Dresses' will open huge and turn Heigl from the small-screen IT-girl into the star she promises to be. But the star wont really shine until she finds a project that defines and enhances her on screen appeal, not just exploits it in the name of a bland, lifeless, calling-card film, shamelessly structured by suits to launch the 'Katherine Heigl' brand.