Rachel loves Dex. Dex loves Rachel. But Dex is marrying Rachel’s best friend, Darcy. How things got so messed up, and how things right themselves, is Something Borrowed.

What’s to love about this movie about love? Lots. The casting of the leads is perfect; Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love, He’s Just Not That Into You) as Rachel is the perfect mix of intelligence, drive and insecurity. Kate Hudson (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bride Wars) cranks it up to 11 as Darcy, Rachel’s self-absorbed, narcissistic friend. But Kate adds a bubbly exuberance and genuine caring to the character that makes it easy to understand why straight-laced Rachel maintained such a close relationship with her over the years. Colin Egglesfield as Dex, the object of both girls’ obsession, is a perfect gorgeous guy blank-canvas that Rachel and Darcy adore. But it’s John Krasinski (The Office, Away We Go) as Ethan, Rachel’s guy BFF, that really stands out. Sure, this is a romantic comedy, but Krasinski’s Ethan flexes some serious acting chops. And he turns the thankless “best friend that harbors a crush” into a character I found myself rooting for. Not because Colin Egglesfield’s Dex is so one-note (though he is), but because Ethan is a fully fleshed character played by an actor who not only knows his craft, but enjoys it. Props also to Steve Howey (Shameless, Reba) for smarm-king Marcus, a role I would have never thought he could pull off after years playing Mr. Nice Guy on Reba. Here’s hoping he gets more recognition; hopefully that’s already on the way for Shameless.

But Something Borrowed is more than just well-written characters being put through their paces by actors almost tailor-made to play them; the writing keeps the story lively. Nice trick for a movie that could have been bogged down by the “love comes after cheating” premise. Like Buffy The Vampire Slayer (the TV series, not the movie), these characters say exactly what you wish you could say at the moment it needs to be said. Smart comebacks? You got ‘em. Well thought-out expressions of love and friendship? In spades. The dialogue is so whip-smart I found myself jotting notes, just so I could remember them if ever I had need. Like I’d be as on the ball as these characters. Hope springs eternal.

The camera work is seamless, from gorgeous overhead and wide shots of New York City that makes Manhattan come alive like the latest 3D wishes it could, to close-ups that feel intimate rather than invasive. Each scene is staged well, and the actors look like they’re actually enjoying themselves. Check out this clip of Darcy and Rachel “pushing it”. Cute, right?

Then why am I not 100% in love with this movie? Okay, can we for one second drop the idea that the ending of Something Borrowed is a surprise? Of course true love wins in the end. But this movie, unlike any other “modern love story”, could have spun the traditions of the genre and come up with something truly fresh and entertaining. Instead, they rely on the same old romance clichés we’ve seen over & over. The True Love, the Snag, the Big Reveal, the Big Problem, and the Perfect Solution. Very cute, but only because the dialogue is so believable and the actors are so engaging. That makes the point of the story – just accept the person you love even if that person let you down big time – a whole lot easier to swallow. But after the initial joy of watching Something Borrowed began to dim a bit, that unsettling point stuck with me. Not because of the cheating/best-friend bashing that occurs, but because Dex, the man-candy everybody wants, never seems to never quite make a decision for himself. He sways, he sticks around, he seems kinda into it…but there’s never the big reveal of a One True Love that makes all the cheating and covering up come out okay. Instead, when they walk off into the sunset, I felt creeped out instead of satisfied. No, scratch that; I wanted her to be running to Ethan instead. Probably not the ending Something Borrowed wanted me to think about, but it was there all the same.

At the end of Something Borrowed, as the credits roll, there’s the now-typical “surprise scene” after what has usually been the end of the movie. This scene hints at a possible sequel, something that is altogether possible since Something Borrowed is part of a series of novels by Emily Giffin. I hope that if another movie gets made, that they’ll have the same cast…but a more modern spin on the classic fairy tale.

As a film fan, I’m always refreshed and inspired when I get to see great actors commiting themselves to a worthy project, and watching their partnership with directors who understand instinctively what they want to achieve. Granted, it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, but I’ve got good news to report this time. The new dark comedy Cyrus is such a movie. Taking John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei and giving them a middle-aged movie romance that’s worth ten or twelve dopey Hollywood rom-coms, the Duplass brothers throw in an unexpected surprise; a strong, intelligent performance by Jonah Hill as Tomei’s creepy, emotionally stunted 21 yr old son who’s dead set against ever calling Reilly ‘dad’.

There are an untold number of independent films chronicling the sometimes rocky road that comes with the territory of unconventional family pairings. There’s nothing terribly unconventional about seeing Reilly’s John or Tomei’s Molly come together as two people seeking out love later in life, nor in forming a family unit with Tomei’s grown son, Cyrus. What’s strange here is the less than wholesome emphasis and focus that Cyrus seems to put on his relationship with his mother. It isn’t an incestuous one, but it is a one that encompasses an unwelcome and unsavory physical and emotional intimacy that is inappropriate for a guy of Cyrus’ age. His mother is his world, and his confidant, and his best friend. He has scarcely even considered that human interaction exists beyond his connection with her.

With such a sturdy and long psychological umbilical tethering the two of them, Cyrus and Molly are both suffering, although neither is aware of it. When Molly meets the hapless and goofy John, a lonely divorcee, he threatens to sever this umbilical and it sends Cyrus into an emotional tailspin. It isn’t long before he’s challenging Reilly to an Oedpial confrontation with Molly as the prize.

This could go wrong in all sorts of ways, and yet Cyrus isn’t just a funny movie, it’s also a suprisingly warm-hearted and engrossing drama that never seems as sour as we expect it to be. Part of this is on the part of the Duplasses themselves, who have decided beforehand exactly what kind of movie and tone they are going for and stick the landing by casting all the right actors and structuring the movie so that each character has a segment where they are allowed to blossom and shine. This is essentially a three character drama, and each one is saved from being typecast as a generic placeholder, i.e. hero, villain, damsel in distress. All three of them are flawed, all three have been broken in some way, and all three have some legitimate claims to the things they want. The challenge that lies at the heart of Cyrus is whether or not they came come together and make a better future without sacrificing everything to do so.

Give it up for John C. Reilly, because his John is one of the best characters he’s ever done; it’s a perfect balance of the sensible everyman Reilly played early in his career and the kind of eccentric nutballs he portrays in films that usually costar Will Ferrell. John has his moments of insanity including a terrifically funny drunken karaoke scene where he serenades Molly with ‘Don’t you want me Baby!’ or the scene where he quietly and clearly states to Cyrus that he will destroy him if he continues to meddle in his relationship. But in the midst of those mishaps, Reilly makes John a likable and sympathetic guy. He’s had a hard time of dealing with his divorce from Jamie (Catherine Keener), who is still his friend, and being thrust back into the dating scene because she’s getting married and feels sorry for him is also difficult. When he meets Molly and she gives him honest and warm affection, he’s not one to balk at it, and he starts trying again. When he meets Cyrus, he does what he can to give both he and Molly what they need, but he doesn’t anticipate Cyrus’ contempt and desire to dispatch him. When he finds himself being rejected again, by Molly’s son no less, his defense mechanisms kick.

Marisa Tomei is possibly the only actress I can think of that could pull off the role of Molly, because we have to believe that this woman is both an intelligent and put together gal and still capable of holding her twentysomething son in an accidental thrall of which she isn’t aware. Tomei can do this because of her latent warmth and nurturing presence. She’s a great foil for Reilly,and the two have a really cute chemistry together that makes the early chapters worth cheering for. When Cyrus shows up, she makes us believe that Molly is an enabler for Cyurs, but a well meaning one that has been doing so much to protect her son that somewhere she forgot to take inventory of whether or not the job was done.  She’s never less than endearing and she’s the solid, sympathetic center of the film; it’s not surprising to see why John and Cyrus would be competing for her attentions, regardless of what form they take,

The surprise for me was Jonah Hill. He’s struck me in the past as a surprisngly one note character, playing a rendition of that drunken fratboy theme that guys like John Belushi specialized in years ago. Here, he’s got to do a lot more than that, and he has a tricky character. The suspense of the film is based on not knowing exactly what the unpredictable Cyrus is going to do, but at the same time, this is a comedy drama not a horror movie, and Cyrus can’t be such a sinister wildcard that he scuttles all of the other subtle work going on. To Hill’s credit he manages to avoid making the kid a villain, or a one-note mama’s boy.

There’s a certain sense of sadness to Cyrus, and we see that he honestly and genuinely loves his mother. He has no specific beef against John either, other than the obvious one; he threatens to take his mother away from him. Watching Hill explore the ways in which Cyrus is both scary intelligent and emotionally stupid is like watching an actor really take inventory of his craft for the first time. I hope to see Jonah in more intelligent fare like this and less scataological explorations of Judd Apataow’s headspace.

For everyone who’s been a bit burned out with the lack of substance in this season’s big entries, here comes Cyrus. It isn’t a deep or dramatically sweeping film, but it tells us an odd, believable story in a delicate and wise tone, with actors who make it all come alive. That’s as close as we’ve come to a knockout in several weeks.

Christoph Waltz, the Austrian actor who received widespread acclaim for his role as Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, just added a directing gig to his already-busy schedule.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Waltz is going to direct Auf und Davon (Up and Away) off his own script, based on the novel with the same name.

After his mainstream success in “Basterds,” Waltz filmed the role of the villain, Chudnofsky, in Michael Gondry’s The Green Hornet, which is set to be released at Christmas. He has also signed on to Water for Elephants and is considering a role in A Little War of Our Own, so it will probably be some time before this movie gets off the ground.

U&A is the story of a woman who “is the ruthless host of a dating show competition. She finds herself in over her head when the show’s romantic story line bumps into her own feelings for a contestant.” Sounds like a typical rom-com to me, but, with Waltz, I’m not sure.

You can tell that he definitely has a sense of humor — both from his role in Inglourious Basterds and his charming Oscar acceptance speech.

The movie would mark his feature-directing debut, as he has previously only directed for television.

Fox International Productions is financing, but that doesn’t mean it will play in the US. President Sanford Panitch said, “While Christoph’s rise to international stardom will continue, we are very proud to collaborate with him on his very own project.”

I am really glad to see this awesome actor get more work. He was terrific as “The Jew-Hunter” and seems like a nice guy.

How do you feel about Valentine’s Day?

Are you one of those romantics who buys into it wholeheartedly, anticipating the day so you can lavish your loved one with affection and attention? Maybe you  just enjoy getting caught-up in the kitsch of candy hearts, roses and chocolates? Or are you one of the others, who thinks the holiday is a cheap and shameless ploy by the card companies to cash-in on romantic feeling? Maybe it’s all a scam by couples to make single people feel like crap? Have I hit one of your buttons yet?

Well, if you aren’t in the camp you enjoys the kitsch or wholeheartedly buys into the ethos of the holiday, then you should stay far, far away from Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day. It has been created with a singular, shallow purpose; cash in on the moonstruck miasma already associated with the day.

In fact, I can’t even guarantee that if you like the holiday, you will enjoy the movie. There isn’t a worthwhile character or thoughtful sentiment in the entire thing. Marshall has produced by-the-numbers claptrap before, but this is his epic of empty feeling. A mammoth herd of stars show up and tromp through several vignettes following a variety of people living through February 14th from start to finish.

I was reminded of Richard Curtis’ Love Actually, where a formidable and lively cast portrayed characters living and loving their way through  Christmas.  This movie has little of that one’s charm, and none of its substance and wit. Curtis may have packed his picture full of twee sentiment, but he had the courage of his convictions. The only conviction that V-Day has is the unfortunate belief that a well-placed pop song will cure any flat or tedious scene. There’s alot of music here as a result.

Are there any highlights? Well, if you enjoy seeing actors you recognize playing themselves and vindicating all those cheesy romantic feelings you have always had about the magic of Valentine’s Day, then maybe. Otherwise, there are snippets of humor and flashes of feeling, but they are buried underneath the grueling script which feels more like an airline schedule than a plot, making sure each thread is taking off and landing on time.

Among the cast, I found Jennifer Garner to be the most appealing and likable performer. She’s playing a woman named Julia who is circling potential romantic entanglement with her best bud, Reed, who also happens to run a florist shop on V-Day (how cute). There’s not enough here for her to do anything significant with the character, but she has the energy and the sweetness necessary to make something like this work. Maybe if the film had focused solely on her and Kutcher’s Reed it would have stood a better chance. Instead it throws us Julia Roberts, Hector Elizando, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Topher Grace, Patrick Dempsey, Taylor Lautner, Anne Hathaway, Kathy Bates, George Lopez and Queen Latifah. I could have done without the lot of them. Well, ok, we can keep Latifah. She’s also one of the few bright spots.

Valentine’s Day is a movie without a single surprise. If you watch the trailer right now, you will understand everything that wants to be said, and what will happen to all of the characters. You will also know if it’s a movie you will like. If you find yourself rolling your eyes, you’re better off sitting this V-Day out.

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Why is it so hard to deliver a competent and entertaining romantic comedy? In a time when we are getting a record number of grim, post apocalyptic thrillers and action-heavy spectacles, why is a lighter-than-air genre proving near impossible to pull off?

I don’t know the answer, and it’s clear that When in Rome doesn’t either. It sputters out just as its getting started and nothing it tries—including an out of place but amusing Napoleon Dynamite gag—can ever get it up and running again. Right about now, Leap Year is looking pretty darn good. At least there the leads had chemistry.

It seems to be a law with modern rom-coms that they require a quirky central conceit upon which to hang the romance. When In Rome is all too happy to oblige this with the story of Beth, a New York museum curator (at the Guggenheim no less) who flies to Rome for her sister’s wedding and meets Nick, a dreamy NY sportswriter also at there for the big day. When she thinks this potential Mr. Right is with someone else, she gets desperate and starts scooping coins out of a fountain of Venus in the plaza.

The fantasy trope here is that when Beth returns to New York with five coins in her pocket, she has also waylaid the romantic destinies of the five men to whom the coins belong. Now Danny Devito, Jon Heder, Dax Shepherd, and Will Arnett are following her around New York (they all just happen to live there) like would-be stalkers. No extra credit for guessing the owner of that fifth coin. If you don’t know by now, it probably means you haven’t seen the trailers or this is your first romantic comedy.

Cobbled together by the screenwriting team that brought us Old Dogs (just kill me now), Rome takes what could be a clever and cute concept and then runs it right through the generic story factory, sucking out most of the cute and almost all of the clever. The four enchanted suitors are played completely for zany laughs, and each one falls flat in his own way.

Shepherd as a sassy self-absorbed model is by far the worst of the bunch, although Heder predictably strands his Criss Angel-esque magician with unconvincing quirk. There’s just not enough for Will Arnett to do here so he comes off more manic then he might otherwise. Devito, however, is a pro and he does manage to actually inject some character into his role, albeit not much.

Fortunately for anyone that might end up getting dragged to this by their significant other, it’s not a complete misery to watch. The reason for that lies entirely with the adorable and charming Kristen Bell, who gives each scene her all, even when that scene includes being groped by Danny Devito while he spews bizarre facts about sausage.

Bell has a natural perkiness to her personality and Rome is mercifully free of any straining on her part to sell us Beth’s cuteness. She also finds a way to navigate the myriad of slapstick sight gags without making us roll our eyes. She’s the best reason for the movie to exist, and I’m more than ready to follow her in a film that actually cares about her character. By the time Heder and Pedro (yes, ND’s Effrain Rameriez as Pedro) are breaking into her apartment, director Mark Steven Johnston (Ghost Rider) is throwing more at her than even she can chew.

Surprisingly, relative newcomer Josh Duhamel has enough self-effacing charm himself that he isn’t lost in the insane shuffle of late third act events. There’s not a completely convincing chemistry between he and Bell, but they do have an easy rapport that allows them both to catch the audience’s sympathy. Whether this comes from embodying their character’s unlucky-in-love foibles or from simply being likable stars in a daft movie is anyone’s guess.

You could do worse this weekend than When In Rome, but then you could do much better too. My advice is that if you are looking for a romantic comedy and happen to be at a theater still showing it, try Leap Year. If you have the benefit of time, rent Roman Holiday instead. There’s a bit of enchantment I can get behind.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

It’s possible that I’m just not enough of a girly-girl to really appreciate the upcoming romantic comedy When in Rome, or it could be that the trailers for the movie look just a bit too cheesy to pique my interest.

Walt Disney studios and MPM Digital Marketing have recently released a clip from the film, as well as a featurette, and frankly, the new video for When in Rome doesn’t do much to help the already over-the-top feel of the film’s earlier trailers.

For some reason, there is a man in a straitjacket hanging upside down from the ceiling of Kristen Bell’s apartment. Makes perfect sense, right?

From what I’ve gathered from the earlier trailers, the plot of When in Rome involves Kristen Bell’s character taking coins out of Rome’s Fountain of Love, which causes men to instantly fall in love with her.

The mummy-esque man in the new clip is one such man, attempting to perform one of Harry Houdini’s famous escapes in order to win the love of his infatuation.

Yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself here.

To get a closer look at the stars of When in Love, Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel, make sure to take a gander at their faux personal ad where they talk about everything from favorite food to favorite thing about each other. You can get up close and personal with the stars here.

When in Rome hits theaters January 29th.

While the upcoming romantic comedy Valentine’s Day may have gotten tabloid notice thanks to the supposed romance that Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner developed while working on the film, the new trailer for the film looks like it might just be able to stand on its own without the accompanying gossip to help it.

Valentine’s Day features a huge ensemble cast full of big name stars. Among said stars are: Julia Roberts and niece Emma (it’ll definitely be interesting to see the younger Roberts hold her own in the same movie as her superstar, award-winning aunt); two of Hollywood’s most lusted after actresses, Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel; That 70s Show costars Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace; Grey’s Anatomy‘s Drs. McDreamy and McSteamy, Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane; movie and music stars Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah; funny man Bradley Cooper; America’s current sweethearts Anne Hathway and Jennifer Garner, and Hollywood legend Shirley Maclaine…just to name a few.

Whew! That is quite the loaded cast!

We’ve got the film’s poster for you right here, and you can check out the movie’s trailer here.

From what I can tell, Valentine’s Day seems to follow the style of my personal favorite romantic comedy, Love Actually, which focuses on the relationships of several characters, whose lives turn out to intersect at different times.

Valentine’s Day hits theaters on February 12th, just in time for Valentine’s Day itself. The movie definitely has the appeal of a chick flick, but given the time of year it’s coming out? Guys, you can expect you’re going to be seeing it too.

Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. John Travolta in Hairspray. These are among some of Hollywood’s big name men to let their feminine sides shine through on screen by playing the role of women (granted, Hoffman and Williams were both men playing men playing women…)

The next star to don a dress for a film? Adam Sandler.

Sandler has signed on to star in Jack and Jill, and romantic comedy from Columbia Pictures. The actor will be doing double duty in the film, playing the roles of both Jack and Jill, as well as producing the film under his Happy Madison banner.

Filming on Jack and Jill will begin early next year, to be ready for release by Sony in 2011.