Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet share an on-again, off-again romance spanning years and miles in the romantic comedy A LOT LIKE LOVE. Oliver and Emily first meet during their early twenties on a flight bound for the “Big Apple”. There’s an instant attraction between the two which leads to a one-flight stand, if you catch my drift. They bump into each other again in downtown New York, Oliver gives Emily his number and tells her to call him in seven years, once his life is successful both personally and professionally.
A LOT LIKE LOVE is a good title, because the film is a lot like love, it’s a lot like romance, it’s a lot like a comedy…but it’s none of the above. It’s a wishy-washy, half-baked relationship flick which wants to desperately be this generation’s WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Both films’ time frame is years, not days, but Harry and Sally actually spend years not days together. The screenplay for A LOT LIKE LOVE allots only a handful of moments for Oliver and Emily, most of which are either forgettable or annoying. Although the film spans seven years, the drastic change in Emily’s attitude is a bit much to swallow. Her transformation from punk girl to upscale photographer doesn’t seem reasonable, and everything relating to her lifestyle feels off. Peet and Kutcher seem game for this type of material, making the most out of lifeless characters. A LOT LIKE LOVE is a lot like WHEN HARRY MET SALLY when it comes to story structure, but it doesn’t come close otherwise.
Grade: C-
No comments:
Post a Comment