Review of “27 Dresses”
Like John Laws being forced to admit before singing the praises of some brand name that they’re actually paying him, I feel that I am forced to confess in advance of this review that I am completely smitten with Katherine Heigel. She is hands-down the best thing about TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, was self-deprecating and hilarious in last year’s low-brow comedy Knocked Up, and with this film she knocks the romantic comedy crown of the unworthy head of Kate Hudson and claims it for her own.
In 27 Dresses she plays Jane, the girl who can’t say “no”, whether it is picking up the dry cleaning for her hunky boss (Ed Byrne), agreeing to bridesmaid for 27 of her closest friends, or answering the endless questions of wedding newspaper columnist Kevin (James Marsden), who is intrigued by her hopeless romanticism.
In the season leading up to the Oscars, our movie screens are choked with worthy films we feel like we need to see. There’s nothing particularly worthy here – just dizzy fun, like the bubbles in a glass of champagne. The screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna doesn’t contain much we haven’t already seen in a dozen films before, but delivers more than its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments even if it is nowhere near as witty as her writing for The Devil Wears Prada.
While there is nothing particularly noteworthy about the direction, helmer Anne Fletcher does manage to pull off one of the lamest clichés of modern cinema – the montage, lampooned so deservedly in Team America: World Police – as a genuinely charming moment.
What does deserve praise is the costume design of Catherine Marie Thomas, whose titular bridesmaid’s dresses are suitably and deliciously hideous.
I’ve already given myself away about Katherine Heigel, so I turn to defence exhibit A: The group of girls in the row behind me at Woden actually applauded her at various points in the film.
I think the real surprise for audiences is James Marsden. He has a solid CV as minor characters in big action films like X-Men and Superman, but here he really shines as romantic lead. And can I just say that if the Canberra Times employed a few more columnists who looked like that, I might come into the office more.
Watch for Judy Greer (from Arrested Development) as Jane’s best friend and Maulik Pancholy (from Weeds) as Kevin’s workmate. They are the Jack and Karen of this film.
CK
Rating:
Leave a Reply