|
|
  
Back Shelf Beauties
|
Hitch You gotta love Will Smith. He is the king of July 4th , dominating the holiday with blockbusters like Men in Black and Independence Day. Now, he's taking over Valentine's Day with Hitch. Watch out Arbor Day! He's coming for you next. Smith stars as Alex "Hitch" Hitchens - a legendary, but secretive date doctor who helps the less suave, less handsome and more nerdy of men attempt to win the hearts of the women they love from afar (think Drew Carey chasing after Naomi Watts). Hitch only takes referrals, and only helps those who truly love the object of their affection (darn romantic, isn't it?). Of course, in his own love life, Hitch isn't as smooth, and proves it when he starts to pursue a local gossip columnist, Sara (Eva Mendes). However, she doesn't realize she is hot on Hitch's trail while investigating his newest client, Albert (Kevin James), who is pursuing a local socialite, Allegra (Amber Valetta). Will Albert win Allegra's heart? Will Hitch be exposed? Can he romance Sara? After this movie, I feel sorry for beautiful women like Eva Mendes and Amber Valetta because Hitch will make dorky, husky guys like Kevin James and myself feel some hope that we too can date women who look like models (I'm trying to find Natalie Portman's phone number as we speak). Overall, Hitch is a very entertaining, sometimes romantic, but always charming comedy well worth your time, and the time of someone you love. While the multiple plots could have become confusing and burdensome, director Andy Tennant and writer Kevin Bisch do a superb job making it all flow together in an easy to follow and humorous way. While Hitch feels predictable, and somewhat formulaic in that Three's Company kind of way, it's funny because of the wonderful cast. Smith is an extremely entertaining and dynamic leading man who knows when to run with the joke, and when to allow his partners to take center stage. He's one of the few actors in Hollywood who is equally adept at comedy, romance and action, which allows him to bring out Hitch's best qualities, and make us believe he might be a dork underneath it all. Some of the movie's best moments are when Hitch gets thrown off his game, and must flail about as the best laid plans go awry, and Smith lets the silliness chip away at his cool exterior. James and Mendes are strong partners who know how to hold their own with Smith, and you'll especially enjoy James' ability to show us just how out of his league Albert is as he chases after his dream woman. James doesn't make Albert into much of a buffoon because he knows how to give the character some heart, so the audience is always rooting for the underdog. Mendes makes Sara into a 21st century girl next door who is smart, accomplished and fun, which is what all of us men are looking for in our lives. You'll enjoy Hitch because you want these people to find true love, and that's 75% of the battle in a movie like this. 3 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
|
