La fille d'en face

I saw this movie in the theater - TWICE - when it first came out. I became smitten with Eric Schaeffer and thought If Lucy Fell was hilarious. Now that I caught it on USA (or TNT, whatever) recently, I'm able to see how flawed this romantic comedy really is and wondering why I was so taken in by it before.

First of all, I found the titular character to be pretty unlikeable. She's quick to point out everyone's shortcomings in a cold, clinical sort of way yet can't even look her father in the face when she talks about things that are important to her. She knocks her roommate for being afraid to talk to Jane when *she can't even talk to her own father*! She carries on this passion-less relationship with Dick, not even thinking that it might hurt him less to just cut it off.

I liked Joe, esp. his diatribes (still love that job in Central Park scene) but he too was hard to relate to. He hasn't had sex in five years because he's obsessed with Jane, the woman next door? OK, so I know this is Hollywood and things are exaggerated for comic effect, but what are we supposed to think of "Bwick?" The guy doesn't speak in complete sentences at first and seems near illiterate (or, I guess he's so enmeshed on the artistic plane that he can't be bothered with the concrete). I could have cried for Ben Stiller when again I saw the scene of him "painting" (i.e. yelling and hurling paint-coated body parts at canvas) - totally ridiculous. I know, that was the point... hook Lucy up with a nutter so that she'll realize what's under her nose.

When I first saw this movie, I think I was 28, and the idea of 30 still loomed ahead. Now, at 33, the idea of two single people taking their lives because they haven't found reasonable relationship material is not only beyond crazy, but it's insulting. (Well geez, maybe these guys would have found love if one hadn't wasted years obsessing over an unattainable woman and the other had extricated herself from a dead-end relationship!) It feeds into this ridiculous notion everyone under 30's got that somehow, single life goes downhill after one hits 30. (I can tell you it only gets better!) Still, "every pot finds its cover," and these two half-wits "find" each other by the end of the movie, so all's well that ends well.

I saw this in the movies. I think it was the one and only time in my entire life I've fallen asleep in public. But that might have been my date. Either way, this movie was terrible. Now, I've seen it again. It wasn't just age or what was going on with my life - or who I was with. This is a terrible movie. The two lead characters who are supposed to be best friends are mean to each other and do not communicate clearly. Joe, the lead "male" and writer of the movie, dresses like a girl - complete with headband and dresses and leggings. In fact, he dresses like a little girl in the 1980's. The lead woman, played by SJP, who I can never hate, is just not likable. Nor does she make sense. One second she likes Ben Stiller's pointless character, the next she's rolling her eyes at him like the rest of us. The base story is interesting and one of my favorites, I won't spoil what that is, but suffice it to say there was plenty of potential. This movie doesn't carry it off. The editing is bad - but perhaps that's mostly the fault of a shallow script and unlikeable characters. The actors can't be faulted. They do their best with virtually no material.

...to Eric Schaeffer, but he's not the leading man type. He's a decent actor, writer, and director, but should stick to acting parts that fit his persona. The handsome, desirable leading man is not his strong suit.

Beyond that, the movie is predictable. We knew the ending right from the beginning. It is an inoffensive, puff piece of a movie, easily forgotten once it is over.

The only slightly interesting part is seeing Scarlett Johansson in one of her earliest roles. Beyond that, there's nothing original here.

I rented this movie some time ago, thinking it would be great, especially with Sarah Jessica Parker and Ben Stiller. However, I found the movie very disappointing . It did not keep my attention and I kept waiting for it to "get good". It never did. I ended up falling asleep. Unlike other movies I have fallen asleep on, I did not feel the need to try to watch it again, especially when spending money to rent it. In fact, I could not wait to get the tape back video store. However, whenever I have trouble sleeping, I do consider purchasing a copy of this movie to help me fall asleep.

After reading other comments, I see that some people liked this movie and thought it was clever and smart, so it must have some enjoyable and entertaining value from a view point I am either lacking or just have not applied. However, it is definitely no Something About Mary, or You Got Mail which are wonderful romantic comedies, yet very different from each other.

Essentially, I found this movie meaningless. Even though I do like Sarah Jessica Parker, Joe (played by Eric Schaeffer) seemed like an unnecessary jerk. He who has been watching through a telescope supermodel Elle MacPherson, suddenly becomes turned off by her when she admits to having fantasized about him. Dissapointing ending.