Movie Review

Alex and Emma

Let me start this off by saying that I saw Alex & Emma for free, and afterwards I was relatively grateful for that part.

The film isn?t terribly bad, but it just isn?t good; it walks on groundwork that hasn?t always worked for previous films, and thinks it?s being additionally cute by essentially telling two stories (at the same time) with that groundwork, eventually intervening. Afterwards as moviegoing patrons were departing the theater, I heard a girl (maybe 16 or 17 years old) remark to her companion: "It was cute?"
The movie evidently worked for them, but for those like myself looking for something more than a formula piece (i.e., a well-built script, laughs, and duo chemistry), you will most likely leave the theater rather empty inside. This film plays all the motions of a romance with an obvious ending; what it forgets to bring to the party is a consistent laugh meter, or even a chuckle meter; I chuckled a few times, with one actual laugh-out-loud moment, but craved a dosage more at the least.

Alex & Emma has a story that could achieve greatness, but it gets drowned in clich?s to the point where those who aren?t a fan of the genre may even consider walking out midway through. Since I was on a free ticket, I figured I might as well stick with it; but even so, this wasn?t exactly walk-out material; it was just flat out mediocre, and I save the walk-out temptations for the literally unbearable features.

But with any movie where we understand what?s going to erupt further down the road, typically we ask for things to compensate for those filmmaking components that are deadly predictable. To make up for that, we ask for solid acting, a script that matches the talents, and acting relationships that feel real rather than simply looking like rehashes of other genre attempts; and that is the dilemma that many of these efforts fall into ? not feeling realistic.

I like both Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson, and I know they both have a talent and are not just strictly stars holding an icon figure (that can sell seats). I?ve seen Hudson in Almost Famous (A-) and Wilson in Royal Tenenbaums (B+) as well as Bottle Rocket (B); l know they can both act and I?m aware they know what good scripts look like; what they saw in Alex & Emma?s screenplay is beyond me. While it has a few inspiring moments, there are far too few of them.

In one argument the Rob Reiner film is rescued by these two actors, as the screenplay is quite dead in power and originality, with character dialogues rather stale and contrived. The actors? presence adds a dimension of life that is demanded for some sort of payoff to be there, even if we never receive what we truly seek out. It says something about their gift, but they are also damaging their reputation with a production like this, as not even their presence can save the film, and their presence sometimes isn?t even all that great.

The film stars Luke Wilson as a struggling author (Alex Sheldon) facing a horrific deadline set by a group of Cuban thugs; he is to finish his novel, which he?s only written eight words for, in a little under a month, or they kill him. After a gambling bet that went awry, he owes a debt to these people, explaining that odd portion, as he will pay the thugs through the money he receives from the publishing of the novel.

This is when Emma Dinsmore (Kate Hudson) steps in, who?s set to be his stenographer; there is skepticism at first, predictably enough, on Emma?s part, as she purely sees a desperate and messy guy who doesn?t have it all together mentally. Luck may have it, the two agree to partner up, with him dictating his ideas much like Nicolas Cage in Adaptation, with Emma on her keypad keeping up to pace, but also rising in debate to some of his story choices.

In the ways of a script, this cutesy picture makes a mistake from the moment the promising opening credits conclude; I liked the style of that introduction, as it gave a slight Down with Love vibe, which I thought was a tolerable film (B-). But once we see our main protagonist (Wilson), the script turns to contrived actions, dialogue that can be painful to listen to, antagonists that look borrowed from The Master of Disguise, and above all else, absolutely weak direction. It?s as if Reiner is watching his small television screen on set, observing this scene unfold, going, "Eh, at least it?s not North?"

As scenes play out, it feels as if these talents in front of the screen are directing themselves; they don?t look like they?re necessarily there, as they can barely make us believe they?re who they say they are. Words come out of their mouths, but without any conviction or passion for what they?re presenting. In a situation as this, you can simply blame the actors for their involvement in the film or the lack of dedication to the roles; but there?s also this little thing called the writing on the page, and like yeah, it really wasn?t very good.

After finally seeing Bend it Like Beckham (C) the day before Alex & Emma, I was convinced I could have written that sports movie over a bored weekend, as it was extremely simple and straightforward. Now seeing Alex & Emma, I feel sort of the same way, even though my opinion is slightly over that margin. I had debated whether I was going to rate Alex a C or a C+, but then I remembered Hudson?s own How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (C+) earlier this year.

That film of the same genre ran much of the same routine but actually resulted in a few more laughs and some enjoyable supporting characters. That edition of the formula was nothing special, and despite its heavy running time the flick had its redeeming aspects even if it wasn?t reaching into recommending territory. Alex & Emma, on the other hand, is a film that traps you between two people the entire time; and so if they?re not convincing you every step of the way, or at least not stimulating amusement or intrigue, you might very well feel claustrophobic.

The funny thing about Alex & Emma is that I?d like to say the chemistry was rather non-existent, as in many ways it really feels like it?s two opposite personalities who?d never end up together in their entire lifetime; of course, not unless they were in a formula movie. But as the film was riding along, I thought about the characters? conditions and it occurred to me that I might have actually seen some chemistry sparks here and there; I wasn?t exactly enjoying the duo, but there was some weird connection I was able to establish.

The only frustrating part of this factor of the story is that the ending is obvious to anyone with only half a brain; and so, the chemistry needs to feel ecstatic for the payoff to exist, or at least since their material is far from winning substance. And because there?s only bits and pieces of an actual connection between these two souls, I was left claiming this as another predictable romance and not a When Harry Met Sally; despite Harry being expected in the end, its story was incredibly believable, and the screenplay was written fabulously. Sally?s not one of my favorite films of all time, but it?s right up there in the genre.

Alex & Emma obviously wants to be another When Harry Met Sally, but it forgets the ingredients of which made that classic. It?s unclear why Reiner directed this movie, other than that transparent story comparison, and it?s also unclear how he was able to snag the talents of his two contestants. Perhaps, for Hudson and Wilson, it was to work with the legendary director of that classic; but what they?ve produced is dull, slow, and for its genre, not too romantic and not too funny.

For a date movie, there are a lot of other titles that are better than this. Even if Alex & Emma is the only product of that kind out in the marketplace, take my advice and wait for video if you have any desire to catch this eventually ? you?ll most likely thank me for it later.

Lee's Grade: C
Ranked #78 of 132 between The Eye (2003) (#77) and Duplex (#79) for 2003 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%