Un mari de trop

The reviews for this movie had not been good, although reviews for romantic comedies are notoriously unreliable. RomComs are not high art, and while there is still an abundance of difference between a good RomCom and a bad one, they are light entertainment and benefit from being viewed as such.

Accidental Husband certainly had flaws, but was still a lot of fun. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a funny bloke, Uma is Uma (always at least good), Colin Firth is assured as always. I was impressed with an exchange between Jeffrey and Colin's characters which was unusually realistic for this sort of movie.

Some commentators have expressed displeasure at the fate of Colin's character because they like the actor, but it is only a character.

The involvement of the Indian family was slightly curious, but enjoyable, and Ajay Naidu put in a solid performance as Deep.

If you are after a RomCom and you can cope with a bit of logical nonsense, you should find this an enjoyable diversion.

A romantic comedy with a slight Bollywood twist more for the fact that it features Indian characters in a more three dimensional way which is something Hollywood does not do often enough.

Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) a firefighter wants to teach radio host and love counsellor Dr Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) a lesson when she unwittingly got his fiancé to break up with him. Sullivan gets his neighbour Ajay to hack into the public record office and gets him married to Lloyd which causes consternation to her as he plans to get married to her perfect man Richard (Colin Firth.)

Lloyd meets up with the more rough, ready but happy go lucky Sullivan for an annulment but slowly both fall for each other due to some mixed up scenarios.

The film has enough of an unusual setting, some good charm between the two leads to make it work even though its slightly contrived. Colin Firth is rather wasted in a difficult spike in the wheel role, but I guess its one of the last rom-com's he made before his best actor Oscar win. Look out for support from some veteran character actors.

With all the deception taking place, this film turned out to be quite enjoyable. And then there was the physical comedy, which I liked a lot, though somehow Uma Thurman doesn't seem to be suited to this type of comedy.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan made a very appealing Patrick. You want him to get the girl. Sure, he's ordinary, but aren't most of us?

Thurman did an excellent job as a radio host, but I found her quite hard to take when she was on the air or when she was acting like she did on the air. In the "real world", and especially when she was drunk, I liked Emma a lot more.

Isabella Rossellini was surprisingly good as the woman Emma had to deceive to save her husband's job. Mrs. Bollenbecker appeared to be sophisticated and upscale at first but actually quite approachable and friendly.

There was nothing particularly wrong with Richard, and Colin Firth played him very well, but in a movie like this, you don't really root for someone uptight like him to get the girl. He was a good sport when he had to participate in the deception.

Sam Shepard made an appealing Wilder, a father to Emma who could have done a better job and was apparently doing something quite naughty. Emma just had to accept what she saw.

Later in the movie when it becomes clear one man is not right for one woman, they handle the situation in a mature way that seems out of place in a movie like this, and yet that's how it should be.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable.

In New York, Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) gives sentimental advices in her radio talk show "Real Love". She is in the top of her successful career with many listeners; she is releasing her first book about things of love; and she is going to marry her editor Richard Bratton (Colin Firth) in a couple of weeks. When Emma advises her fan Sofia (Justina Machado) to call off her wedding with the fireman Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the broken-hearted man loathes her. His next-door teenage neighbor hacks Emma's documents and plays a prank with her, marrying Emma with Patrick. Emma seeks out her husband to annul their marriage and after meeting Patrick, she feels attracted by his free spirit. Emma sees herself in a crossroad and having to choose between the safety of a life with Richard or the crush for Patrick.

"The Accidental Husband" is an incoherent, implausible and silly romantic comedy. The senseless story begins with Emma seeking out Patrick to annul their wedding instead of her lawyer. Their romance is absolutely absurd considering the background, age and social class of Emma. The homely Colin Firth shows a total lack of chemistry with Uma Thurman and the character of Jeffrey Dean Morgan does not belong to her world. In the end, this forgettable flick is not funny and a waste of time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Marido por Acaso" ("Husband by Chance")

This film is about a fireman whose wedding got called off due to the advice of a radio host. He is determined to seek revenge against the radio host who destroyed his life.

"The Accidental Husband" is not too bad. Uma Thurman is charming and adorable as always. The hair stylists deserve a praise, because in almost every scene Uma Thurman has a different hairstyle, and they all look good.

However, the plot is rather implausible. Patrick Sullivan's revenge is rather malicious, making him rather unlikeable. This sets the wrong tone for the film right from the start. The bald Indian guy tries so hard to be funny, but he ends up being annoying.

Overall, "The Accidental Husband" is suitable for a brain off evening. It's rather forgettable though. If it did not have big stars in it, it would be difficult for this film to attract viewers.