Purple Violets | Christian Toto reviews, Romance | DONNE TEMPO
Purple Violets
August/25/08 10:10 PM Filed in: Christian
Toto reviews | Romance
Since then, his films have struggled to gain acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
At first, the answer isn't so clear. "Violets" stars Selma Blair as Patti, a talented writer whose stuck selling real estate for an unctuous boss (scene stealer Dennis Farina). Patti and her friend Kate (Debra Messing) run into their old college boyfriends by chance one day, and the meeting sparks two curious reunions.
Brian (Patrick Wilson) used to date Patti, but they split rather than attempt a long-distance relationship. The connection that once existed between them still lingers, even though both are in their own tortured relationships.
And Murph (Burns) cheated on Kate and she still hasn't forgiven him. Not one bit.
How the two couples reconnect makes for some moderately engaging scenes, but Burns displays a tin ear not just for dialogue but also for the way people fight and make up. The sequences with Brian's girlfriend (Elizabeth Reaser) make no sense. Why would a successful author stick around with such a harpy?
And Patti's marriage to a self-absorbed chef (Donal Logue) is equally irritating - and hard to believe.
Brian's quest to write a "real" novel rather than the genre books that made him a mint comes off as stale, not stimulating, and poor Messing is stuck in another role that can't take advantage of her terrific comic chops.
"Purple Violets" looks like a can't miss romance, but every time the leads swoop in for a kiss - or something more - the lack of chemistry betrays them.
The goods: "Purple Violets" offers a cast worthy of a theatrical release, and the moody score deserves attention all its own. Blair proves she's grown up beyond her youthful appearance, and Burns squeezes some affecting compositions out of his otherwise routine story.
The Mandatory Extras: Who said anything about "mandatory?" "Purple Violets" is the rare DVD free of extras. Burns can be a loquacious fellow, so it's odd not to hear him in any form chatting about his latest project.
Above and Beyond: "Purple Violets" isn't the embarrassment that its curious iTunes release would have you believe. But it's also pretty weak tea, a romance with little spark, a drama without enough comedy to make it feel like real life.
— Christian Toto
