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Meg
Ryan has built her career on cute romantic comedies. From When
Harry Met Sally to You’ve Got Mail, she’s been
the girl with the cute-as-button grin and the sparkling twinkle
in her eye. Problem is, the act is starting to wear a little
thin. More so, she knows it, which explains dark dramatic turns
in Proof of Life, Courage
Under Fire and Flesh & Bone.
Problem
is, audiences don’t seem to respond to Ryan when she’s in
these edgier, more down to earth films, even when her work –
especially Courage Under Fire – is some of her best.
This probably explains her presence in the nice if immediately
forgettable new time-travel film Kate & Leopold. This
is once again Ryan how audiences love her – cute, endearing
and perkily lovable. And it is pretty darn pleasant in most
respects. As romantic comedies go, this year has seen a heck of
a lot worse, and few as breezily charming.
Most
of the applause for that fact has to go to Hugh Jackman. He plays Leopold, the Third Duke of Albany, an 1876 gentleman
bachelor who, thanks to a surprise visitor named Stuart (Liev
Schreiber), falls face first into the 20th century. Taking up
residence in Stuart’s apartment, he encounters a century’s
worth of changes. He also makes the acquaintance of Kate McKay
(Meg Ryan) and her brother Charlie (Breckin Meyer), who force
him rethink his cynical notions towards romantic love.
Kate
& Leopold
is mostly harmless. Both Jackman and Ryan have a warm, delicate
chemistry. Their affair is easily believable as the two
delicately dance around love. The supporting cast is also quite
good, with Meyer a particular standout. He’s captivating and
likable in ways that are warm and genuine, a far cry from his
embarrassingly unfunny work in the NBC sitcom Inside Schwartz.
That
said, the movie doesn’t go anywhere a Ryan romantic comedy has
not journeyed before, and while director James Mangold (Cop
Land, Girl Interrupted) once more shows an assured touch
with actors his hand at comedy isn’t near delicate. Also, for
a time travel film there are a few whoppers of continuity errors
(Leopold loves The Pirates of Penzance and La Boheme
neither of which had been written in 1876) that take
“suspension of disbelief” to a whole new level.
It
is Ryan who looks most uncomfortable at times in Kate &
Leopold. Despite her ease in the role there are quite a few
moments where she looks desperate to be someplace else. While
her and Jackman undeniably click, her moments on screen without
his presence lack spontaneity. She looks tired of playing these
types of characters and one can’t help but wonder how much
longer she can keep at it before audiences start to feel the
same.
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