Le courtier du coeur

Sometimes you just want to sit back and laugh, and who better to give you those laughs than Charlie Sheen. He is a ladies man just like "Two and a Half Men", but this time he screwed the wrong woman and lost it all.

After future wife Denise Richards leaves him, he has to find gainful employment. He sneaks his way into writing an advice column.

Estelle Harris was hilarious as the editor's (Angie Harmon) secretary. Harmon was funny, too.

Jon Lovitz gives plenty of laughs as his best bud, and who knew Rosanna Arquette could be so funny? Paybacks are fun and funny.

If you can get past the immorality and a little language, the movie is pretty watchable. The acting was respectable, especially liked Angie Harmon and Rosanna Arquette. Don't recall the actor's name who played Rosanna's husband, but he was quite fun to watch, as well. There may even be a few lessons to be learned, as far as honesty and integrity... lessons to be learned by the viewers, that is, as I don't believe that, even in the end, the main character really caught on to them.

We don't find very many movies on TV here in Saudi Arabia that we can last through the first ten minutes of, but we managed to stay tuned to all of this one, so I guess that says something for it :)

"Good Advice" doesn't try to be anything it is not, and knowing its limitations makes it a good watch.

Charlie Sheen plays a disgraced stockbroker who was set up and loses his job, then his girlfriend (Denise Richards), who leaves him and the country, as well as her job as an advice columnist, behind. Sheen's character is desperate for money so he takes over the column under "Dear Cyndy's" name. Richards gives an over-the-top performance as the super-hot golddigger whose column wasn't making waves, or money. Sheen takes the job more seriously (since he needs the money), and the movie focuses on his evolution from a Type-A jerk into a new-age sensitive man in touch with his feminine side.

As with any movie of this type, the plot and ending are pretty easy guesses, but the key is in the performances, and the entire cast is strong. Jon Lovitz plays the loyal friend (a plastic surgeon), while Rosanna Arquette is convincing as his materialistic wife and Cyndy's emotional support. The characters are more like what you'd find in real life rather than Hollywood, in that they weren't niced up the way many who move in the world of fiction are.

While I wouldn't be moved to see this film in a theater (it went straight to video), if nothing else is on cable, I might give it another watch. The movie has enough staying power to ensure that you'll be able to find it on cable for many years to come.

"Good Advice" tells of a down and out ex-stock broker (Sheen) who takes over his girl friend's advice column leading to love, success, and much fun. With a zinger every few seconds, funny characters and situations, a clever story with a feel good conclusion, "Good Advice" makes for a fresh and fun watch. In the absence of hype and considering the talent behind the film, "GA" qualifies as a "sleeper" and should be a pleasant surprise for most who manage to snag it on cable.

I'm happy that I hadn't read the negative review on this site before I saw the DVD on the video store shelf -- otherwise, I would have passed over a good movie. I knew nothing about it before seeing it on the shelf, so perhaps my expectations were low. True, it was not Academy Award material, but it was a good romantic comedy -- cute and funny. And that was the unanimous consensus of the 2 females and 1 male who watched it together. Give it a try!