MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL: It's Just Crass & Crude

MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (Romantic comedy)
Cast: Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, Lizzy Caplan, Alec Baldwin and Diora Baird
Director: Howard Deutch
Time: 100 mins
Rating: * * (out of 4)


Kate Hudson and Dan Cook

HEY Folks, I am now blogging from the US of A. I was in Lawrence, near Kansas City, last weekend, where I caught a couple of films at the famous Legends Mall. I am now back in Bloomington, Indiana, where I caught this one. So I can imagine how many of the 'F-words' will be censored out of the dialogue back in Malaysia.

THE SKINNY: In 'Good Luck Chuck', Dan Cook played a guy whom lots of women want to have sex with because he is 'cursed' to be the good luck guy after whom the woman he dated will find her true love and get married. Well, in 'My Best Friend's Girl', he has another 'plum role' as an 'emotional terrorist' - and asshole-for hire by men who want to get their girlfriends back. Just one date with the obnoxious Tank (Cook) and the girlfriend would come running back to the guy she left behind.

Tank's roommate, Dustin (Jason Biggs), hires Tank to work his magic on Alexis (Kate Hudson) so that she'll want to start a romantic relationship with Dustin instead of just being a friend. However, when Alexis goes out with Tank, she's actually looking for Tank's specialty - the one-night stand - and doesn't care if he's a asshole This throws him off his game and he finds himself trapped in his own web, falling for the woman who is supposed to be his prey.

THE CRITIQUE: Cook may be a good stand-up comedian (he was a 'grad' from Comedy Central) but his devil-may-care attitude sort of disqualifies him from being the romantic hero. He could never get off from being the joker in 'Good Luck Chuck' and the same problem dogs him here. He lacks screen chemistry with Hudson, he is not convincing enough as a romantic lover and generates no audience sympathy. He was fine in a supporting role though, as he was in 'Dan In Real Life' where he played Steve Carrell's brother.

The other supporting cast, like Alec Baldwin as Tank's skirt-chasing father, and Lizzy Caplan as Alexis' randy room-mate Ami, offer interesting distractions. Another problem is that this film appears like a series of gags for Cook to perform rather than a movie. And some of these are out of place with the story.

VERDICT: Another cinema fodder.