Wednesday, May 2, 2012

27 Dresses (2008)

Dir: Anne Fletcher
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns

After watching some pretty heavy movies, I turned towards the lighter side of my collection (but also just tried to get back on the alphabetical nature of this endeavor). The husband was off on tour, and this meant I had full reign of the usual "to watch a rom-com or not to watch a rom-com" argument I have with myself--they can be the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, and the husband won't usually join me in such viewings.

There have been a lot of wedding-based rom-coms in the 2000s. You could make the argument that most rom-coms are about weddings because that's usually what happens in the end. But, the wedding-centric ones came fast and furious. I'd say this is one of the best of the bunch. It has a likable protagonist with a sarcastic best friend, a villain wrapped up in a too-perfect sister, a hunky crushworthy boss, a cute journalist and a whole lot of bad bridesmaid dresses.

Of all the wedding rom-com movies I recieved as gifts for becoming engaged years ago, I think this is the only one I kept. Bride Wars and Made of Honor were awful, awful films that had none of the pleasure you're supposed to get out of a rom-com. I had to give them away; they weren't even unintentionally funny. But Heigl's character here is relatable, smart, and seems like perhaps the best friend a girl could have should she be planning to get married. I also like that Marsden finally got the girl after several movies of being the nice to guy who loses out. Enjoyable, through and through.

The Best: The opening of the movie where Heigl races between two different weddings--one in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn--and has to change her bridesmaid dress in the cab rides between.


Fact: Malin Akerman plays Katherine Heigl's much younger sister in the movie, but she's actually older than Heigl in real life.

Rating: ****** (6 out of 10)

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