Un amore di testimone

I have to start by saying that I am not a huge fan of "chick flicks" but I actually really liked this one! I thought this had a lot of humor and it wasn't really cheesy humor, it was actually funny.

I saw this at a screening for theater managers and at first I wasn't even going to go. I wasn't expecting much from it, it just looked like another rip off of a hundred other romantic comedies. I was very surprised that that I liked it the entire way through and it kept my interest the whole time! Although I enjoyed the movie, it was not an original idea. The one thing I did really enjoy about it was that this wasn't a sad girl trying to get the guy like many other movies like this are, it was shown through the guy's perspective which isn't quite as over done.

I won't give out any details you don't already see in the trailer for the movie: Patrick Dempsy's character is great with women and his best friend is a successful intelligent woman. She goes to Scotland on business and Patrick's character realizes he has actually fallen in love with her now that shes gone. She comes back and he is ready to profess his love but there's one problem: she met someone else and is getting married! So now he is her "maid of honor" and has to try and stop the wedding. Like I said, not really an original idea but it is MUCH funnier and more interesting than most of the romantic comedies I have seen. Especially with him being maid of honor, its really hilarious.

If you are looking for an original movie that hasn't been done before then this is not for you. But if you enjoy romantic comedies and want a good laugh this one is definitely worth seeing. I watched it in a group of about half and half for men and woman and 90% of the people I talked to enjoyed it. I would see it again and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, even if you don't like "chick flicks"!

Made of Honor spells chick flick all over it, the perennial formulaic romantic comedy that tells its entire story in the trailer, but that's not going to stop couples from hitting the cinemas for their date movie flick, does it? What I thought was peculiar was that the original US rating for this was R, meaning a lot more sexual material thrown in, versus the now released PG-13 version which was re-edited, and over here, the rating of PG that allows for everyone to make a beeline if they want to escape from the week's blockbuster.

The plot's nothing new as well, with movies like My Best Friend's Wedding, and even from as far back as Three Men and a Little Lady where the best friend tries his/her very best to convince the bride/groom that their choice for eternal companionship, is of the wrong one, and of course, to make away with their respective selves to live happily ever after. And if you think the premise is a ludicrous one, where a man will take up the duties of a maid of honor, then Singapore perhaps just legitimized it with a wedding in a cinema last Tuesday, where indeed a male did grace the occasion of his best friend's wedding as her MOH.

For a man who doesn't seem to have a job and have a huge trust fund behind him, Patrick Dempsey shed his uptight role as a dad from his debut big screen outing with Enchanted, for a playboy called Tom who lives by certain rules in his dating game, and amongst them, no back to back sex with the same girl, no dates with the same girl unless it's a week apart, and never to call someone new in the next 24 hours, never bring them to weddings and family events, and the likes. Women find him irresistible (either for his looks or for that bank account), and he spares no time in getting to know them inside out. The ideal bachelor lifestyle I'd bet, with a constant flow of money, women, and good pals to shoot hoops with, none of them seemingly poor enough to hold down regular jobs.

However, he has his best friend and confidante in Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) with whom he spends his weekends with, and just when he discovers that he truly loves the girl, she drops the bombshell that she's going to marry a Scot whom she met during her business trip, and talking about whirlwind romances, will be getting married in 14 days. So the clock starts to tick in order for Tom to prove himself to be better than the groom-to-be Colin McMurray (Kevin McKidd), which is an uphill task as riches-for-riches they could be on par, but you just can't inject blue blood into you. While at the same time juggle his role as the maid of honor and going through the many girlie things that they're supposed to do for the bride.

While it is a formulaic story, what works, and so long as it does, this type of movies will forever be made, is the chemistry between the leads. You just can't deny that both Dempsey and Monaghan look good together on screen as a couple, and you can't help but find yourself rooting for them past their characters' stupidity to realize that they're made for each other, after 10 years of being together, with little clues left unanswered with questions such as "why do you like him" going unanswered. If only of course it were that easy in real life, that a romance can be wrapped up with Eureka-like moments of enlightenment within two hours.

Of course I must admit though with formula, it doesn't require anything cerebral from you as you sit through and (try to) enjoy the story in fantasy land. The eclectic soundtrack helped as well, with contemporary tunes taking centerstage and played at the right moments, from Smash Mouth's opening, to Oasis' Stop Crying Your Heart Out, when last I heard of it in a movie was in The Butterfly Effect. Supporting characters like Kathleen Quinlan and Sydney Pollack goes wasted of course.

Okay, after 10 minutes of "Made of Honor" it is crystal clear that best friends Tom (Patrick Dempsey) and Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) are madly in love with each other, and should be together. Tom and Hannah are beautiful and good people, but apparently not smart enough to figure this out now. So we have to wait it out for the next couple hours. Yes, this is formulaic romantic comedy, and taxing one's patience. Further complicating our pain, the fleet of writers—Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan, and Harry Elfont, depict Tom and Hannah literally on paper as smart, charming, and engaging, except for this glaring blind spot. However, despite the narrative devices and clumsy direction from Paul Weiland, I was enrolled by a scene with Michelle Monaghan. As Hannah, Monaghan looks wistfully at photos of her and Tom on her cell phone. She resonates with a sense of sadness and regret. Later Dempsey as the clued in Tom implores Hannah, "Please don't marry him…"

A lot of "Made of Honor" is over wrought and contrived; however, Dempsey and Monaghan's charm make you wait it out. Dempsey is the handsome engaging player lug-head, who underneath it all has a good heart. Michelle Monaghan is radiantly beautiful, funny, and smart. She is a younger Sandra Bullock. Monaghan is humorously vulnerable as Hannah, who is smart in settling for a relationship, because she fears she can't have what she really deserves. Monaghan is amazing.

We find that Tom and Hannah (Dempsey and Monaghan) became best friends as a result of Tom's college high jinx. Today Tom is very wealthy as a result of an idea he had for a cup holder sleeve. Hannah is the passionate art curator for the museum. Tom and Hannah are best friends with killer chemistry. Hannah is Tom's go to date for his father Thomas Sr.'s (funny Sydney Pollack) numerous weddings. The count is up to 6. Even Thomas jokes to Tom, if Tom doesn't marry Hannah, he'll make her number 7. Hannah, being Tom's tolerant and patient best bud accepts Tom's one night stands with hot women. She is even versed in his rules for sleeping with the same woman on consecutive nights. Tom also has his buddies, including solid Felix (Kadeem Hardison), with whom he plays basketball. Tom seems to have the perfect life. Then following Tom's father's wedding reception, Hannah tells Tom that she has to go to Scotland for 6 weeks on business. Tom facetiously says, "What am I going to do without you?"

During her absence, Tom starts to get a clue about Hannah-- being the one. So he decides to tell Hannah, that they should be together when she returns. However, Hannah returns with great news: She has fallen in love and is getting married in 2 weeks in Scotland. The guy is Colin (dashing and charming Kevin McKidd), who is a Scottish Duke and apparently the perfect guy. Really. Tom and his crew later get a glimpse of this at a ridiculous pick up basketball game experience. Anyway, Hannah asks Tom to be her Maid of Honor. Tom accepts. His bud Felix reminds him that he can "steal the bride" from inside the wedding. Predictably the rest of the Brides Maids are annoyed with Tom, particularly Maid of Honor runner-up cousin Melissa (angry Busy Philipps), who Tom slept with once.

For the most part "Made of Honor" is by the numbers romantic comedy. It does manage a touching turn, because we really want to know why Hannah ends up choosing Colin. It is transparent to us that Colin is the perfect guy, but he is not the perfect guy for Hannah. Fortunately, Dempsey and Monaghan's charm and chemistry for the most part wins over "Maid of Honor". Sydney Pollack provides welcome comic relief and staid fatherly advice. Kathleen Quilan is great in the supporting role of Hannah's mother Joan. Too bad she doesn't have a bigger role. But she has a moving moment with Monaghan as Mom talks about Hannah's late father.

"Made of Honor" is enjoyable for what it is: cookie cutter romantic comedy. We can suspend our disbelief, because Dempsey and Monaghan are great together.

I don't get all the bashing this movie got in 2008. I actually enjoyed it. It's a classic chick flick, so everybody who's expecting a "unique" plot or a different storyline, why would you watch a romcom for that? Yes, some scenes were unnecessary, but who called the movie perfect? Anyway, I wanted an adorable movie, where I know the couple will end up together, but it's got pretty visuals, a convincing story that makes me believe in love, and lead characters with good chemistry. Made of Honor, was all of that. Young McDreamy (Grey's Anatomy ref) is absolutely charming and will make you want to side with him. Michelle Monaghan plays the poise and simplicity of her character in an extremely natural way. The movie isn't sappy but rather fun, relaxing, and enjoyable. Lord knows I needed that. And it was nice watching a chick flick from a guy's point of view.

After a really long while did I find a 2000's rom coms that aren't as popular but is deserving of more acclaim.

Sometimes I'm literally amazed at the load of horse dung that comes out of Hollywood. This movie is no exception. This was clearly a formula movie, something produced to generate revenue and nothing else. I'm guessing someone in Hollywood was sitting around, trying to come up with new angles on old spins, and they blurted out, "Let's make a man the Made of Honor." Then they wrote a dry, bland, done a thousand times before script. The sad thing is, people actually pay to go see this stuff. Don't waste your time.

The acting is ho hum. The storyline is a mirror of so many other stories. And the overall intelligence of the characters and their life path decisions is insulting. And the ending…well, it's pure fantasy. Something only school girls' dream of. Which is probably the target audience for this movie.

When I watch movies like this, and yes, unfortunately, sometimes I do, it makes me wish they would have just donated the money to the homeless or the starving. It would have been money better spent. If you're going to watch this movie, get ready to do some serious snoozing. And maybe some "dejavuing" too. I give it a D. And that was being nice.