27 Dresses | Christian Toto saw, Romance | ENTERTAINMENT
27 Dresses
April/22/08 11:30 PM Filed in: Christian Toto
saw | Romance
Suffice to say there's no sex in Jane's city, and matters get much when her sister (Malin Akerman) starts dating her boss (Edward Burns). Jane has been crushing on him forever but hasn't had the courage to tell him so. Now, she has to fake enthusiasm as the happy couple's relationship heads toward marriage.
So goes "27 Dresses," a by-the-numbers romantic comedy given a jolt by its appealing leads.
Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna makes Jane enormously appealing and, at times, a touch pathetic. But she's too smart to stay that way for long. McKenna's doles out a few killer lines to her cast, though, along with enough gentle humor to make Jane's heartache bearable. But has their ever been a duller side of a romantic triangle than the snooze-inducing Burns? What was Jane thinking?
Marsden, typically relegated to the "other guy" role ("Superman Returns") or lost in an ensemble (The "X-Men" trilogy) shows he's more than capable of leading the way. As for Heigl, she isn't as adorable as Meg Ryan, nor can she out-quirk Drew Barrymore. The "Grey's Anatomy" star is attractive, but hardly a stunner. All of which makes her the perfect romantic comedy heroine - just gorgeous enough without rubbing our faces in it, just honest enough to reel the viewer in. All she needs now is the right comedy to show it. "27 Dresses" is a good dress rehearsal for just such a flick.
1. The goods: "27 Dresses" isn't as manipulative, or as awful, as recent rom-coms like "Hitch" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." But it still concentrates on unbelievable events to nudge the story forward. Hollywood writers seem obsessed with these gimmick romances, when all we really want to see are opposites attracting in the silliest, most romantic of ways. The film's dynamic leads ground the implausible moments as much as possible, and Judy Greer sparkles in the ubiquitous best friend role.
2. The Mandatory Extras: Who knew it took so much work to design ugly dresses? Several smart mini-features break down the story's high points, expand on Heigl's fine slapstick moves and detail how a Rhode Island town subbed for the Big Apple where the film is set. And the movie's costume designers dish on what it takes to make an awful bridesmaid dress, a cautionary tale for brides-to-be everywhere.
3. Above and Beyond: The three deleted scenes aren't noteworthy, but kudos for including a segment on "The Running of the Brides," the Filene's Basement wedding dress mega-sale. Brides start lining up the day before to prep for the sale, which offers designer dresses at more than 75 percent off sticker price. One suspects these sales get ugly at times, what with the pushing and shoving on display. If you need to see a Bridezilla in her natural habitat, look no further.
— Christian Toto
