Review: A Lot Like Love

Posted by: Dean Kish  •  April 22, 2005 @ 11:59am

Filed under: Reviews

Okay, there are romantic comedies. I accept that they exist. But why are there so many different ones all about the same thing and the same story? You can call me a pessimist when it comes to the conception and storyline of the romantic comedy, but when it stars Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet, I gotta scream foul.

Kutcher and Peet star as pseudo-versions of star-crossed lovers, except that instead of getting all droopy eyed and checking each other out, they decide to have a mid-flight romp in an in-flight lavatory during a cross country flight. Then, well, after joining the mile-high club, they still aren't sure if they like each other.

The rest of the film takes place over the course of ten years while Kutcher and Peet keep running into each other or by desperation phone call. Each carry on relationships with other people but always have each other in the back of their minds.

Oh be still my bleeding heart, will these dumb-schmucks find true love? Is this Hollywood? You betcha.

I will try to calm down my sarcasm and try to give you a logical reason why this film is worse than any other romantic comedy out there, but to be perfectly honest, I can't. The reason I can't separate it out from the ever-growing genre is that it's a cookie cutter version of all the other ones. Will they or won't they?

I do have to admit that the film's script does have hints of brilliance and some interesting lines, but with Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet uttering them, I feel absolute pity for the screenwriter. It's not like you are watching a brilliant script being delivered by the likes of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Before Sunrise or Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally.

I had a lot of problems with this film, especially when it came to the adequate performances of the film's leads. I liked some of the script, but felt it needed help in some portions. I am still waiting for this year's Garden State. (2 out of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.