When it comes to witnessing the romance of others, there are pretty much just two camps of viewers. There are the diehard romantics who fawn over such displays of goo-goo eyes and playful baby talk and can't get enough of it. Then there are those who can't stand such public displays of affection, especially when they get so syrupy sweet that they could induce the gag reflex in romantic cynics.
The old TV sitcom "Seinfeld" covered this subject in a hilarious episode where the title character and his new girlfriend annoy everyone by repeatedly calling each other "schmoopy." That's somewhat of a factor in what's enjoyable -- or not -- regarding similar material in "A Lot Like Love." Yet another romantic comedy, this one isn't filled with such baby-talk, but the film is comprised of two would-be lovers essentially doing what made Jerry's show a success, that is, a whole lot of nothing.
We see repeated scenes of the two just hanging out, enjoying each other's company, and doing all of the goofy romantic things new lovers do when in the throes of young love. The difference, however, is that these two aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but rather casual friends "with benefits" who occasionally hook up over a number of years, have sex, toy with the idea of becoming a couple and then go their separate ways before repeating the same.
It's somewhat refreshing to see an entry in this otherwise predictable and repetitive genre break the mold of most of its contemporary offerings that usually follow the same blueprint. That said, the film is anything but novel. And that's because director Nigel Cole ("Calendar Girls," "Saving Grace") -- who works from a script by Colin Patrick Lynch (making his debut) -- has essentially just retooled 1989's "When Harry Met Sally," sans the sharp and insightful, observational dialogue and overall Woody Allen-esque aura that made that film so good.
Like that film, this one covers a span of years where the characters occasionally bump into or seek out the other, only to find that one reason or another -- such as new significant others now being in the mix -- prevents them from becoming a couple. What's missing this time around, however, are the observations -- whether about men, women and the whole friends vs. lovers debate or the changing of times and societal norms as occurred in the structurally similar "Same Time Next Year."
Without that or much in the way of interesting secondary characters -- Kathryn Hahn ("Anchorman," "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton") and Ali Larter ("Final Destination," "Varsity Blues") play the woman's friends; Jeremy Sisto ("Wrong Turn," "Thirteen") embodies a boyfriend; and Kal Penn ("Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle," "Son of the Mask") plays Oliver's business partner, but none get much in the way of depth or memorable moments -- the film's success lies squarely on the shoulders of the two main characters and whether they can make us fall for them, their movie and root for the romance to finally take hold.
While they're certainly no Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, Amanda Peet ("Something's Gotta Give," "Identity") and Ashton Kutcher ("Guess Who," "The Butterfly Effect") do have a certain identifiable charm and chemistry to them and their "relationship" that goes a long way in making the film somewhat easy to watch. And much of that stems from their ability to take those "nothing" moments and make them fairly endearing.
Although he's nowhere near the best in his vocation, Kutcher is growing on me with each subsequent gig and he does seem to be developing as an actor, getting a tiny bit better each time. Peet is as cute and vivacious as ever and I just wonder what they might have been able to do with a better or at least deeper script. Without that, they're relegated to playing up and off their various small moments of flirting and just hanging out. While they might bore or irritate some, I found them divertingly entertaining, much to my surprise (being a cynical reviewer who has no great love for this overtaxed genre).
That aside, while reading over my notes regarding the characters and overall plot (taken as the movie played out), I find myself hard pressed to recall what else made the film moderately enjoyable and/or at least tolerable. Perhaps I was in a particularly good and/or more accepting mood at the time, or maybe it's just one of those "you had to be there" moments where some degree of movie magic somehow managed to ooze from the unlikeliest of places.
Fairly charming, but too long, a bit slow and essentially coming off like a lite, watered-down version of "When Harry Met Sally," the film has me in a bit of a quandary about how to rate it. Do I go with my initial gut reaction I had while watching the film, or do I take a more critical, hindsight-based look at it? Perhaps I need to see it again to really be sure, but in the meantime, we'll have to settle for the compromise of "A Lot Like Love" scoring a 4 out of 10.
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