Dir. Anne Fletcher, US, 2008, 107mins
Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Edward Burns, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer
Review by Matthew Rodgers
Former child star Katherine Heigl was given the chance to break free from her Greys Anatomy TV shackles by producer de jour Judd Apatow (most mentions in a single week?) in last years Knocked Up. As sweet as she was playing the straight [wo]man to the ensemble of malfunctioning males her role was largely subdued, giving her little chance to shine beyond the first act; 27 Dresses offers her the opportunity to try on the comedy gown previously owned by Julia Roberts and quickly discarded by Jennifer Garner, and the good news is it fits perfectly.
With a plot straight out of “101 ways to write a successful rom-com” Heigl plays Jane Nichols, a successful PA to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, George (Burns) on whom she has harboured a crush for years. In a case of always the bridesmaid, never the bride, hence the '27 Dresses', her stunning sister Tess (Malin Akerman – The Heartbreak Kid) beats her to the punch becoming engaged to her sisters object of unrequited love. Throw in former X-Man James Marsden as a sceptical wedding reporter and you have all the right ingredients for what should be a seen-it-all before affair.
And it is; the dress changing montage, the high profile pre-wedding family feud, the will-they-wont they plot mechanisms and even a karaoke scene. Originality isn’t high on this ceremonies running order. So why on earth should you RSVP in the positive to 27 Dresses? The reason to celebrate is in the infectious performances of both Heigl and Masters. He is fresh from a criminally underrated turn in Enchanted and here exudes a rounded honesty bereft from most of the genres leading men and she is brilliant as the wide-eyed leading lady, never asking for the audiences’ sympathy, you just plain like the girl.
Formulaic and over-indulgent on the schmaltz it may be but 27 Dresses certainly excels in departments that the lamentable P.S. I Love You faltered in. Upbeat and the dictionary definition of that most awful of phrases “the chick flick” it can't help but be appealing thanks to the Heigl’s smile that just about covers the creaking script and uninspired directing.
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