Release Date: January 27th, 2006 by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The Cast: Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Anthony Head, Darren Boyd, Sue Johnston, Eva Birthistle, Boo Jaclyn. Directed by Ol Parker. BASIC PREMISE: On day Heck (Goode) and Rachel (Perabo) get married, Rachel falls in love with Luce (Headey), the florist. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: This British romantic comedy has much of the dry humor from Bridget Jones’ Diary and Love Actually . The familiar plot works because the actors have a lot of fun with their roles which makes it easy to join in with their fun. Piper Perabo, who lights up the screen with her beauty and charisma, puts on a convincing British accent as Rachel. Her new husband Heck seems boring compared to Luce, who often makes her laugh and smile. Surprisingly, writer/director Ol Parker makes Heck a likeable and kind-hearted man, unlike his best man Coop (Boyd) who comes across as an arrogant jerk when he stubbornly flirts with Luce. Celia Imrie, who you might remember from Calendar Girls , gives a very strong performance as Tessa, Rachel’s conservative, overbearing mother. At times, the comedy feels a little forced like when Rachel visits a video store and rents an erotic lesbian movie while Heck’s mother, Tessa, just happens to walk by and chit-chat with her. You never get the sense that Rachel and Luce are madly in love other than the way they look at one another. However, you still care about both of them and want them to be happy. Imagine Me & You best moments are during the hilarious, and witty one-liners. At first, the ending might seem predictable and cliché, but looking back at it, the way that it subtly ties some of its loose ends is refreshing and realistic—unlike The Family Stone ’s ending. Just don’t expect this to be as laugh-out-loud funny as In & Out ; it’s more like a charming British version of Kissing Jessica Stein . SPIRITUAL VALUE: The third act has a few moving scenes, especially between Rachel and Luce. However, the smaller moments end up truly moving, such as the dialogue between Heck and Rachel’s younger sister (Jaclyn). Also, Rachel’s father (Head) cheers Rachel up with a very uplifting speech. By the end, your spirits will be lifted with the warm, satisfying ending. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Occasionally clichéd and contrived plot. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 1 IN A NUTSHELL: Funny, charming, and uplifting! A warm, light-hearted romantic comedy! RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater (1st Run) Main Page Alphabetical Menu The "I" Menu ______________________________________________________ |