Theatrical Review of 27 Dresses

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When a movie comes along in a tired genre, say the romantic comedy for instance, it´s too much to expect the story to bring us something new. After all, according to convention, we know how the main character, usually a heroine, is going to end up with the right guy for her. We know him from all the other males by excessive screen time and an adversarial relationship with the heroine. They find their way towards one another through the film; some sort of manufactured drama comes between them before the eventual happy ending. Almost without fail, this is how romantic comedies run. Shockingly, "27 Dresses" doesn´t deviate from the formula, yet feels fresh, thanks mostly to Katherine Heigl and James Marsden.

Jane (Heigl) has a problem: she can´t say no to her friends on their wedding days. She ends up planning the wedding, being a bridesmaid, taste testing cakes, going to fittings and procuring invitations, among other duties. By day, she is an executive assistant and in love with her boss George (Edward Burns). When her sister comes to town and begins a whirlwind romance with George, a wedding reporter (Marsden) begins following the three around. Soon enough, Jane is pushed a bit too far and snaps.

The last time we saw Heigl on the big screen was in last summer´s raunchy "Knocked Up." That production introduced the film community to a new leading lady, someone plucky and easy on the eyes. More than that, though, she demonstrated an ability to skirt the edge of credibility, charming not only the uncouth Seth Rogan, but also the audience. In her follow up, she creates a nearly three dimensional character, demonstrating she can play any side of the coin. And when she´s coupled with down to earth James Marsden (as opposed to juvenile Rogan), she´s not stuck in the position of playing a mother figure. Instead, she can be a fully formed adult.

Helping her in that is Marsden, finally given a role outside of comic book movies or bigger than life musicals. He never hits a false note as Malcolm the journalist or Kevin the man (the explanation is much too silly to relay). In one particularly fun sequence-the fashion show, for lack of a better moniker-the character transforms from a cocky writer to a actual human being, a man who has been hurt in the past and is afraid of being hurt again. It´s something we see in his eyes, the sincerity and the self protection reflex which endears him to us.

And as the verbal jabs are exchanged, not to mention dueling music notes, we´re treated to inspired one liners. (Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Drunk is a particularly memorable one.) What makes these two actors work so well together is neither has a pretense of being anything but what they are with one another. They don´t live in a world a common person can´t relate to (unlike "Pretty Woman") or live in a fantasy world (see any Disney film).

Up until now, I´ve given very little attention to the other two main characters, George and Jane´s sister Tess (a manic Malin Ackerman). Their story drives the entire production yet feels like an attempt to manufacture artificial drama, particularly at the end. Tess is so materialistic and shallow, there´s no attempt to even make her remotely likeable. Considering how close she and Jane are supposed to be (their mother died when the girls were young and Jane took care of her when Dad was at work), I never could quite understand how Jane keeps her crush on George to herself…especially when everyone else in the movie´s universe can see it.

Neither actor is bad in their supporting roles; Tess is written in such an overblown fashion, we never develop any feelings for her, other than for her to get a clue. If there structural problem with the film, it comes between the sister´s emotional release toward one another at the end. Simply, it´s not nearly enough. Not for all the perceived injustices and slights or as payback for an earlier betrayal. The scene should have been explosive; as is, its mildly funny without any real stakes.

And I´m still not sure what to make of George. He´s apparently a very smart guy, a successful businessman and a "catch." Yet he´s the most dense of all the characters, blind as a bat to the things he doesn´t want to see. Someone I´d categorize as a playboy, but he never flaunts himself around town, as far as we know. Honestly, with Burns´ soft spoken manner, he is easily the most drab of the people in "27 Dresses," outclasses in the flash department by some of the dresses in Jane´s closet. There´s nothing underneath the skin to show he´s a human.

Contrast this characterization with Kevin. We sympathize for him after he´s bared his heart to Jane-in a store, no less-and even share a laugh as she drives like a mad woman in the rain. Despite some more manufactured drama involving a supposed revolutionary story on the perpetual bridesmaid, we still can´t muster negative emotions for him. We continually find ourselves in his corner, partly because we know how romances end and partly because we´re privy to all sides of the story. There is no ill intent on his part.

"27 Dresses" is a chick flick. It doesn´t change the world. Not quite family entertainment, the script stays away from stereotypes or juvenile humor. Heigl and Marsden capture the screen while supporting actors tend to be hamstrung by their roles. This is a cute little movie which doesn´t aspire to be anything else, much to its credit. A solid 6 out of 10.

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