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Maybe you might like "Dogs" |
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Written by NED O'REILLY
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Friday, 29 July 2005 |
The good news is that Diane Lane is sweet and sexy enough to star in a romantic comedy and John Cusack hasn’t missed a beat since filming his last one (“Serendipity,” 2001). The bad news is that “Must Love Dogs” is a nearly artless, formulaic rom com, the details of which you’ll forget within a couple of days.
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"Must Love Dogs"
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 Entertainment
 Art
Directed by Gary David Goldberg
Written by Gary David Goldberg from the novel by Claire Cook
Starring Diane Lane and John Cusack
Rated PG-13 for sexual content
Released July 29, 2005 |
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The real news, though, may be that Gen X is seriously growing up. Cusack and Lane are both now pushing 40 – and while they look good for their age, they’re not kids anymore, which leads me to the question I often ask of Hollywood films: What’s the intended audience?Lane plays Sarah, a newly divorced woman whose sisters, brothers, and father all keep giving her dating advice, usually by means of a photo of the eligible guy. Her sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) puts Sarah’s info on an Internet dating site, including the phrase “Must love dogs,” even though Sarah doesn’t own one. Neither does Jake (Cusack), the most promising respondent to the ad, but they still meet in a park with borrowed dogs. This, and Jake’s passion for building wooden kayaks that no one buys, are the closest the film comes to any original plotting.
Otherwise, it’s boy meets girl, boy fears he’s not good enough, girl chooses wrong boy, and all that familiar nonsense, even though these people are full-fledged adults.
In this case, the wrong boy is Bobby (Dermot Mulroney), looking charming, but nowhere near the macho stud he played in “The Wedding Date” earlier this year. Sarah has all manner of confidantes, including sister Carol, co-worker Leo (Brad Henke), and even her dad (Christopher Plummer), but each of these characters plays out in barely two dimensions.
As Carol, Perkins seems to have been told to wear bad makeup; as Leo, Henke plays the gay friend so straight that you wonder if they thought it would be funny or p.c. (it’s neither), and as the patriarch Bill, Plummer suaves his way through stuffy speeches and poetry recitals with an unnecessary Irish brogue.
A subplot involving dad’s new flame Dolly (Stockard Channing) seems to have been inflated to give the actress more screen time, but serves mostly as a wakeup call to audiences that Channing is (gasp!) 60 years old now.
Thank God for John Cusack, I say. Lane is likeable, despite some odd costume choices, but the script undermines the grit and determination that typically carry her performances. Cusack, on the other hand, injects as much of Rob Gordon (possibly his career-best character, from “High Fidelity”) to keep things funny and – at least while he’s on screen – on a higher intellectual plane, even though he’s saddled with a horny, obnoxious lawyer (Ben Shenkman) for a best friend.
The film has a lot of laugh lines, but no truly outrageous moments and only the corniest of romantic moments. A frantic drive-around in search of condoms is both the funniest and truest sequence in the film.
Maybe this was written for 20-somethings? Cusack, Lane, and the other very capable actors in this movie would be best advised to choose something more age-appropriate next time. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
Other Recent Articles by NED O''REILLY:Big summer thrills in MI:3"Stick It", "Stick It" Good"V" is captivating movie-goingNot the man, but amusing anywayOscars spread the wealth
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