Despite their best intentions, people have the habit of getting in the way of their own success, be it in their professional or personal lives. Thus, they often employ coaches, tutors or advisors who try to correct such behaviors on the way to achieving those goals.
The surprising thing is that while people have accountants, fitness trainers and such, few have advisors when it comes to love and romance. Sure, there are advice columns and best friends, but I'd bet many people get their "advice" from TV shows and movies.
The latest such cinematic love advisor is "Hitch," superstar Will Smith's first foray into the romantic comedy genre. I'm not entirely sure what anyone will learn from the film beyond a few marginal dating tips, but there's no denying that Smith still has the onscreen charisma to lift him and most of the films he's in above mediocrity.
As directed by Andy Tennant ("Sweet Home Alabama," "Ever After") from a screenplay by Kevin Bisch (making his feature debut), the film -- like 99.9% of such genre entries -- is pure, predictable formula. There are few, if any surprises, such as that Smith's smooth "date doctor" character has his own intimacy issues or that Eva Mendes' independent gossip columnist really does want a man in her life despite what she says and does to the contrary.
Yet, and while the film isn't terrific let alone a classic, it's not without its charms and/or share of fun, funny and entertaining moments. Although their chemistry and banter isn't as tight or brilliant as that in "The Philadelphia Story" or "When Harry Met Sally," Smith ("I, Robot," "Shark Tale") and Mendes ("Stuck on You," "Out of Time") have some fun playing their characters off each other in the ages old, man-woman relationship dance.
Of course, a lot of that stems from Smith and his reactions to things that don't go as planned or which simply displease or annoy him. While he's made a career of doing just that, and the material here often feels reheated when not a bit labored at times, it's nevertheless fairly enjoyable.
The other half of the film -- that feels a bit more breezy and which is linked to the first via the "date doctor" connection -- concerns a nerdy corporate tax advisor -- embodied by the hilarious Kevin James ("50 First Dates," TV's "The King of Queens") -- wanting to date the seemingly unattainable socialite played by Amber Valletta ("Raising Helen," "Duplex"). Much of the resultant humor stems from Albert's inherent nerdiness and his attempts -- with instruction from Smith's character -- to overcome that and win over the girl of his dreams.
Of the three relational stories in the film, it lands somewhere between the highly enjoyable male buddy bit (where all of the comical tutoring occurs) and the more formulaic Alex-Sarah dating plot. In keeping with the predictable nature, the socialite isn't the snob one would think and comes off like a cross between Julie Christie of old and Cameron Diaz from "There's Something About Mary" where her character likes the schlubs for who and what they are.
While the two main romance plots offer their share of laughs, they often feel like two different movies sandwiched into one. And some of that may be due to the fact that the film is too long -- at around two hours -- and thus occasionally loses his comedic and/or romantic momentum.
Certain scenes and characters -- including one played by Michael Rapaport ("Small Time Crooks," "Mighty Aphrodite") -- easily could have been jettisoned since they only appear once (after initially appearing to be semi-significant elements), while it's possible the rest of their footage was left on the cutting room floor.
The same holds true for Smith's voice over narration and directly addressing the viewer through the camera. Neither does much for the film (and eventually all but evaporate from the picture) and easily could have been incorporated into the regular dialogue rather than using voice-over and the breaking of the fourth wall.
All of that said, it's nice to see Smith step into this sort of role that so well suits his charming, agreeable and easygoing demeanor. It's hard to guess whether he'll return, but I could easily see him becoming the male Julia Roberts of the genre. I just wish his first excursion into it were a bit better.
While there are many funny and/or winning moments, a shorter running time, tighter direction, sharper dialogue and a refusal to follow the formula could have resulted in a classier and maybe even classic film. Nothing great but fairly entertaining, "Hitch" rates as a 5.5 out of 10.
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