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Release Date: August 9th, 2006 (IFC Center) by IFC First Take. The Cast: Joseph McFadden, Kate Ashfield, Matthew Delamere, Christine Tremarco, Vas Blackwood, Karine Adrover, Karen Tomlin, Neve McIntosh. Directed by Tony Fisher. BASIC PREMISE: Matt (McFadden) searches for love in London after his girlfriend, Deborah (McIntosh), dumps him. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: The Trouble With Men and Women doesn’t tread any new ground in the romantic drama genre, but still remains mildly entertaining and sweet. Joseph McFadden plays Matt, a hopeless romantic and naïve young man who recently broke up with his girlfriend. McFadden gives a mediocre performance but lacks the charm that Hugh Grant could have easily brought to the same role. Once Matt joins the dating pool he seeks emotional help from his best friends, Vinnie (Delamere) and Susie (Ashfield), who happen to be a couple. In the second act, Matt hooks up with a woman who turns out to be a lesbian who experiments for the first time with men and then a sophisticated French woman. Will he find his true love and live happily every after? Writer/director Tony Fisher doesn’t give the audience enough reason to care about the answer to that question. When Matt and Susie take their friendship to another level, they don’t really have that much chemistry—although they do look cute together. It’s difficult to understand what any women sees in Matt. The plot could use a heavy dosage of comic relief—where’s the trademark British humor? Fisher does maintain realism with an organic script, but it could have used more interesting, original characters to enliven this mostly dull, forgettable film. Moreover, the digital cinematography is all over the place—occasionally it’s shaky which feels a bit pretentious and, not-to-mention, dizzying. SPIRITUAL VALUE: Unfortunately, none. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Unsurprising and mostly dull. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 4 IN A NUTSHELL: Mildly engaging and sweet, but unsurprising and mostly dull. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: VHS/DVD Main Page Alphabetical Menu The "T" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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