Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) is always the bridesmaid but never the bride...hmm, I wonder how this one's going to end. But not only that, her boss - who she also happens to be in love with - is set to marry her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) whilst she's being harassed by handsome (the film takes the time to even tell us how handsome he is) wedding journalist Kevin Doyle (James Marsden). So things aren't too rosy for Jane and naturally her frustrations lend to a lot of humorous situations. It's your typical rom-com and delivers exactly what you'd expect; a mixture of laughs and romance with an overwhelming feeling of pleasantness.The concept is simple and at times the script is far too simple as well and it is left to Katherine Heigl to effectively carry the piece on her shoulders. In all fairness she does it fantastically well and confirms her capability as a leading lady after impressing in last year's 'Knocked Up'. Heigl possesses the charm, likability and comedic potential to turn what could be have very dull into something just about watchable. Malin Akerman also provides sturdy support which makes up for James Marsden's galling love interest. It's thoroughly inoffensive fair which will satisfy the ladies and is a bearable enough chick-flick for the men to sit through too.
Verdict: Very much Heigl's movie, she alone secures the third star which without her it would have struggled to achieve.
FUNNY GAMES
Effectively a shot for shot remake of the 1997 German original, 'Funny Games' is Michael Haneke's attempt to bring the message of the original to a wider audience. So this time around it's English language and with big name actors; Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt being the most recognisable. The attempt is to examine the sanitisation of violence in cinema and it's subsequent effects on society through devices such as character's directly addressing the camera, turning the camera from the violence or even rewinding events to erase the effects of violence. The situation Haneke uses to demonstrate this is two young men (Pitt and Brady Corbert) arrive at the house of George (Roth), Ann (Watts) and son Georgie (Devon Gearheart) and embark on tormenting and torturing the family.The problem is that the kind of people who are likely to see 'Funny Games' are unlikely to be the same audience who went to see 'Saw', 'Captivity' or 'Hostel' and Haneke will likely find himself preaching to the converted. His point is undeniably very well made and fantastic casting provides a bleak and hopeless sense to proceedings which is largely lacking from standard Hollywood fare. Overwhelmingly though you can't help but feel you're being preached at and looked down upon if you have ever enjoyed a piece of Hollywood horror. It often forgets it also has to maintain audience attention and some sections are tediously slow - it may work as a protest piece throughout but it wobbles considerably as an entertaining film.
Verdict: We get the point, violence in cinema is often handled very badly. But if you want our money Herr Haneke you have to make the point in a more interesting way.
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