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Back Shelf Beauties
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Just My Luck I was getting ready to mock and abuse Lindsay Lohan, but 2 female friends of mine proved something I thought was just studio marketing baloney. Over the past few weeks, I kept hearing that Lohan has a legion of female fans ready to pour into theaters to support her and her movies, a claim that hasn't been supported by her movies' past performance (she doesn't exactly have a string of $100 million U.S. box office blockbusters like Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks). Then, as I started into my Lohan criticism, my friends stood up to defend her like big sisters defending the little sister. That doesn't make the movie better, but it proves there is a Lohan Nation out there, and they are ready to follow their emaciated, naked booty flashing leader wherever she goes, as long as they don't have to hear her sing live (By the way, did you see the story about Universal Music Group stuffing the ballot box to get Lindsay's first video on MTV's TRL? If they have to pay a $12 million fine to make up for this and other misdeeds, do I get some for having to listen to Lindsay caterwaul her way through that same song live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show? I don't think my hearing ever truly recovered.). Lindsay Lohan stars as Ashley - a 23-year old New Yorker and public relations professional wannabe (who happens to have an apartment in a doorman building on 5th Avenue!?!?!?!). More than that, she's the luckiest girl in the world who always wins when playing lottery scratcher tickets, always finds a few dollars in the street and always gets a cab as soon as she walks out of a building. During a glamorous masquerade party she organizes for an important music business mogul, Ashley meets Jake (Chris Pine) - the unluckiest man in the world who happens to be promoting a young band. When the two kiss, the unlucky Jake gets all of Ashley's luck (as opposed to what you normally get when you kiss Lindsay Lohan), and she wants her luck back. As Ashley's life falls apart, and Jake's skyrockets, will she be able to find him and take back her luck? Sadly, Just My Luck, a rather innocuous and sometimes cute movie, plays more like a series of TV commercials for products corporations desperately want you (or the ticket buying women 12 - 24 years of age) to buy. While watching Just My Luck, the audience gets plenty of product placements for a credit card company, a popular soft drink, a mobile phone service, a laundry detergent, a theme restaurant, lottery tickets, bottled water and even a new rock band prominently featured in the film (they're actually kind of good, but I will feel icky if I buy their CD after seeing the movie). Somewhere in there, director Donald Petrie and writers I. Marlene King and Amy Harris deliver a fluffy, frothy, lighthearted film that evokes memories of mid-60's Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies, but it's not as entertaining or compelling as those classics. Most of this has to do with Lohan herself, who doesn't have the spark or charm she or the casting director thinks she might have. The young thespian feels manufactured and forced throughout the film, never falling into a natural groove that makes you suspend disbelief. Instead of rooting for Ashley, Lohan fills the girl with a cockiness about her luck that makes us want to see her suffer and never get her luck back again, which runs contrary to her being some sort of heroine in Just My Luck. I'll place some of the blame on Petrie, King and Harris for that since they walk too much of a fine line between Ashley being grateful for her luck or taking advantage of it. However, you have to blame Lohan for being quite average in an average, sometimes juvenile and silly movie. As far as the supporting cast, co-star Pine has some funny moments as the guy who can see trouble and bad luck coming from a mile away as he counsels those afflicted with his fate, and Faison Love makes something interesting out of his one note music mogul character, but Samarie Armstrong, playing one of Ashley's best friends, comes off like the world's most annoying pixie (Cut off her caffeine immediately!). King and Harris try too hard for the movie to be hip and sassy, attempting to establish Just My Luck as some sort of Sex and the City for teen and pre-teen girls (not surprising since Harris was associated with Sex and the City). The movie has a very predictable plot, tags on an ending that just makes the movie last longer than it has to, and feels like a very bad episode of The Brady Bunch as Lohan slips and slides around in a lame attempt at throwing in some physical comedy. Ladies 14 years and under will love it, since Just My Luck is a little girl's fantasy. The rest of us should get tickets to Mission: Impossible 3 or United 93. 1 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2006 - WaffleMovies.com
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