Image courtesy of Yahoo Movies
Director:
Anne Fletcher
Cast:
Katherine Heigl……….Jane
James Marsden……….Kevin
Edward Burns……….George
Judy Greer……….Casey
Malin Akerman……….Tess
Krysten Ritter……….Gina
Brian Kerwin……….Hal
Michael Ziegfeld……….Taxi Driver Khaleel
Maulik Pancholy……….Trent
Melora Hardin……….Maureen
David Castro……….Pedro
Ronald Guttman……….Antoine
If the quality of a romantic comedy is directly proportional to how enjoyable the scene in which the protagonist gets drunk and/or sings, then 27 Dresses begins showing its superiority right around the time Katherine Heigl miss-sings about her electric boobs during “Benny and the Jets.” Charged naughty parts notwithstanding, Heigl manages (with a big assist from co-star James Marsden) the show-stopping scene with such charming aloofness that the audience can’t help but fall in love with her. That is if there is anyone out there who hasn’t already. What makes her portrayal of perpetual bridesmaid, Jane, so endearing is that she is not actively trying to win anyone over, and in so doing actually wins everyone over.
It is refreshing to see a romantic comedy in which it is not implied that the woman needs saving. In many ways, Jane’s busy life mirrors that of the modern woman living in the big city. She works hard, she plays hard, and she has very little time to focus on her own personal life. It is hardly worth lamenting over her single status before she has even reached 30. But like the ladies of “Sex and the City”, Jane is somehow surrounded by married, or marrying, women. A curious situation considering the presumably successful lives these women lead. Should we not be led to believe that these women are equally career-oriented?
If they are, then Jane’s selflessness is the sole reason she is the owner of 27 dresses, a point that is emphasized as she watches her sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), and her boss, George (Edward Burns), fall for each other within seconds of meeting. Instead of saying how she feels at any number of opportunities given, she bottles up her love for her boss and resentment of her sister until it boils over at their rehearsal dinner. Jane selfishly and maliciously sabotages the wedding of the one bride she probably should have been offering her full energy and support to. The behavior is forgivable as the scene is typical of the genre, and in fact concessions should be offered to 27 Dresses for never once making it seem as if Jane and George would get together.
The ol’ switcheroo is tiresome, predictable, and these days it seems like the woman often ends up with the wrong man. Thank James Marsden as Kevin, the wedding page writer discretely writing a feature on perma-bridesmaid Jane, for his cocky assuredness in his role. Marsden offers a character that is brash, yet sweet, and it makes it easy to root for him. Not that there is ever any doubt, but sometimes it feels nice to actually like the sure bet. Kevin is the only one certain of the film’s outcome, and that allows him a swaggering confidence that is more fun to watch than some poor lovelorn chump thinking a brief meet-cute with the other guy signals the end of his chances with the girl of his dreams.
Fortunately, the audience is not forced to suffer through that trite third act. Instead, viewers are treated to an affable union of two genuinely likable leads in Marsden and Heigl. Their chemistry is so engaging that it makes one long for some romantic comedy to someday break completely free of the shackles of genre conventions and offer a glimpse of lovers being in love just because it makes sense. It seems filmmakers are always looking for some sort of causality; a reason or outside circumstance that two interesting characters might get together. Here’s a radical thought: perhaps two likable people might fall in love with each other simply because they are attracted to each other.
