Heigl and Marsden Shine in Overly Familiar Dresses
Always a bridesmaid but never a bride, Jane (Katherine Heigl) has seen her fair share of weddings. There have been 27 of them, to be exact, and she’s kept the bridesmaid dresses in case you don't believe her. An idealist and romantic to her core, the young woman firmly believes she will get her day in white. Until then, however, she might as well do whatever she can to make saying, “I do,” as ecstatically wonderful for others as is humanly possible.
Katherine Heigl in 20th Century Fox's 27 Dresses
This changes the day her sexy and selfish little sister Tess (Malin Akerman) starts making come-hither glances to Jane’s boss George (Ed Burns), a dashingly successful entrepreneur whom she secretly loves. The twosome quickly and suddenly engaged, big sis isn’t none to happy about this, especially when her favorite wedding reporter named Kevin (James Marsden) wants to write a story on the happy couple.
Or does he? Unbeknownst to her, the cynical (if brilliant) writer could care less about the coming nuptials. He’s more interested in the perennial bridesmaid, hoping to craft a story on her that could be his ticket out the bridal beat and instead fast-track him to some more high profile gigs in other sections of the paper.
With neither person trusting the other, the duo hardly notices the effect they’re having upon one another, love circling them like an arrow shot from Cupid’s bow. Problem is, Jane and Kevin are too consumed by their own desires and ambitions to see it, and if one or the other of them doesn’t act quickly the thing both are looking for might just vanish before they even recognize it’s right in front of their eyes.
If 27 Dresses didn’t have Heigl or Marsden I do not think I could come up with a single good reason for people to take the time to watch it. It’s a rather lazy and pedestrian romantic comedy, writer Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) following the usual clichés from start to finish with no apparent interest in trying to shake things up. From the very first second I knew what was going to happen, when it was going to occur and how it was going to come to a close (and I’m pretty positive everyone else in the preview audience did, too).
Thankfully, with these two marvelously engaging actors holding it together I didn’t really mind I’d seen all this before. While the picture doesn’t have the go-for-broke moxie of Knocked Up or the deliriously effervescent comedic flair of Enchanted, it does have an easygoing charm and a relaxed joi de vive I couldn’t resist. Put plainly, with these two confidently playing the leads the film made me smile, and for those looking for an afternoon matinee diversion I wouldn’t begrudge them in the slightest for deciding to check it out.
Not that this should be construed as a rave recommendation. The film is a mighty bumpy ride, especially whenever McKenna and director Anne Fletcher (Step Up) turn their attentions toward anyone other than their leads. Burns is as bland (if still ravishingly sexy) as ever, while Ackerman doesn’t display an ounce of the whimsically audacious charm she showcased so beautifully in the otherwise insipid Ben Stiller remake The Heartbreak Kid. More, the darn thing is easily a full half hour or so too long, some scenes played out to such excruciating length they almost seem to last forever.
Still, there are scenes of bliss to amidst all the banality. A montage of picture taking and dress wearing is surprisingly delightful, while an early set piece featuring Jane going back-and-forth between two different weddings on the same night in a taxi cab is downright rapturous. More, Heigl and Marsden have exquisite chemistry, both of them playing of one another with such adoringly intoxicating ease I could swear they’ve been doing it forever. All this means the movie doesn’t last much longer in your memory then the time it takes you to step outside the theater, but until that point thanks to its stars 27 Dresses makes for a unexpectedly decent fit.
Film Rating: êê1/2 (out of 4)
- review reprinted courtesy of the SGN in Seattle
Additional Links:
- 27 Dresses Theatrical Trailer
