When “Jack and Jill” opens in the fall, it’ll allow us moviegoers to:
- Hear Katie Holmes actually speak.
- Watch Al Pacino collect a paycheck.
- See yet another comedian play a part in drag.
I’m not saying there won’t be genuine laughs to be had in this film. I enjoy high-concept comedies as much as anyone. I just wish the formula didn’t have to be so obvious. And by “formula,” I mean the fact that “Jack” will start out wishing “Jill” would go home and by the end of the story “Jack” will come to learn just how much “Jill” means to him and how much he can learn from her.
The “formula” was on full display the other night when I was flipping through the TV channels and landed on this one.
“Did You Hear About The Morgans” came out last winter and vanished from theaters. I don’t wonder why.
Not only does Sarah Jessica Parker’s hair make her look eerily like Kathy Griffin, but Hugh Grant’s face doesn’t appear to move anymore. What’s more, there’s absolutely no chemistry between the two of them and, as a result, you don’t care if they get back together or not. And finally, the “formula” – they’re a squabbling city couple who are forced to go to Wyoming after witnessing a murder … only to discover the charms of the rustic life and each other – is so apparent that there’s no fun in the journey. (Plus what a terrible title for a movie.)
It’s the kind of zany romantic comedy that would have starred Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal back in the day – quirky entertainment, in other words. But “Morgans” isn’t zany or quirky or entertaining. It’s just a dud.
I’m getting really tired of saying, “They sure don’t make them like they used to.”
