Alex Sheldon (Luke Wilson) is a talented novelist existing in a seedy flat in Boston. Suffering from writers block and with a gambling debt of $100,000 he is given 30 days to come up with the money or he will receive a terminal visit from the Cuban loan sharks to whom he is in debt. Desperate, he hires a stenographer Emma Dinsmore (Kate Hudson) to type the novel as he dictates. Thrown together for an intense 4 weeks they start to develop feelings, but are they for each other or the characters on the written page, and will life imitate art.
From the word processor of Jeremy Leven, better known for his writing credits in The Legend of Bagger Vance, and as writer/director of Don Juan DeMarco, this screenplay is as simple as the title would suggest, though not without a certain charm. Experienced director Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally - and I could go on) moves things along nicely and develops the relationship in a believable way. The two leads are endearing, likeable actors. Wilson has just the right combination of desperation and vulnerability as the writer with a literal and literary deadline, and Kate Hudson is one of the most watchable actresses in Hollywood at the moment (watch out Julia Roberts). The problem with romances is that a certain chemistry needs to exist between the two leads for the whole plot to be believable. Unfortunately Hudson and Day they are not. Still the movie is gentle and witty without the saccharin sweetness of many modern rom-coms. Its box office flop in the US means it has yet to find a release date in the UK, so DVD will probably be your only chance of seeing this. A definite chick flick of forgettable fluff, but very nicely done.
From the word processor of Jeremy Leven, better known for his writing credits in The Legend of Bagger Vance, and as writer/director of Don Juan DeMarco, this screenplay is as simple as the title would suggest, though not without a certain charm. Experienced director Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally - and I could go on) moves things along nicely and develops the relationship in a believable way. The two leads are endearing, likeable actors. Wilson has just the right combination of desperation and vulnerability as the writer with a literal and literary deadline, and Kate Hudson is one of the most watchable actresses in Hollywood at the moment (watch out Julia Roberts). The problem with romances is that a certain chemistry needs to exist between the two leads for the whole plot to be believable. Unfortunately Hudson and Day they are not. Still the movie is gentle and witty without the saccharin sweetness of many modern rom-coms. Its box office flop in the US means it has yet to find a release date in the UK, so DVD will probably be your only chance of seeing this. A definite chick flick of forgettable fluff, but very nicely done.
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