ViewGuide

Created Mar 22, 2011 10:00PM PST • Edited Jan 20, 2013 12:53AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   Don’t expect a straight romantic comedy. Instead, Down with Love is a retro sex farce with a not-so-covert gay sensibility. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, to cite the great Seinfeld. It’s just that it becomes a bit tedious, notwithstanding strong central performances, impeccable visuals and a handful of LOLs.

   Mixing the trappings of Mad Men with the sensibility of Austin Powers, the movie comes across as an oh-so-clever reimagining of an early 60s heterosexual comedy. Think Doris Day and Rock Hudson through the post-modern lens of Rock’s male admirers.

   If only it was consistently funny instead of consistently insistent. Down with love? How about up with comedy.

   That said, this straight male reviewer is clearly not in Down with Love’s target demographic. Those that are – female fans of Renée Zellweger and male admirers of David Hyde Pierce – have probably already seen it several times.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   The cast is more talented than great looking.

   • Renée Zellweger is not especially beautiful but is capable of playing one on screen.
   • Ewan McGregor does the same as an ultimate playboy.
   • David Hyde Pierce is talented and great looking, fitting since he plays a barely latent homosexual.
   • Tony Randall sighting. What a pro.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

    Written by the producers of Will & Grace and produced by the team behind Milk, the entire production has a “Let’s Put on an Empowerment Show” je ne sais quoi.

    Random note: The credits list 21 additional voices. Now that’s production values!

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Bad 1.0

    “How long does a man’s hose need to be?” Funny line in a funny bit.

    Too bad most of the script fell flat.

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0

    Impeccably stylized visuals of early 60s New York: apartments, restaurants, clothes, the whole schmear.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.9

17. Sex Titillating 2.5

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Salty 2.2

21. Reality

    Glib 1.6

    Aside from a few laughs, the movie’s greatest appeal is as a faux period piece. For instance:

    • The fictional feminist best seller is shown as a worldwide sensation, including being big in Mao’s China. Right, like that could have happened in a totalitarian society brewing up The Cultural Revolution. How could any 21st century Western sophisticate romanticize one of history’s worst tyrants?
    • Speaking of Mad Men, the movie shows consumer advertising from the era when “New” was new.

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.8

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Surreal 2.1