Down With Love Movie Review:


Similar to what Todd Haynes did with 50's suburban melodrama last year in Far From Heaven, director Peyton Reed now delivers a comedy that is a visual clone of the 60's romantic comedies that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson.

Down with Love is a pure representation of the 1960's romantic comedy genre, but it is also an entertaining film full of fresh gender implications. Even if audience members, like myself, did not grow up or haven't seen many of the 60's comedies of Hudson and Day, I believe most will still enjoy Down with Love.

The story takes place in New York City during 1962, and opens with the introduction of Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger). Her new novel, "Down with Love," starts a feminist revolution for women to embrace career empowerment and also urges women to have sex the same way that men do, which is without worries or marriage. One chapter also includes the notion of substituting chocolate as a supplement against the urge to have intimate relations. Barbara's loyal editor, Vikki (Sarah Paulson) has declared that her book is, "bigger than the pill."

As the book skyrockets up the best seller list, Barbara becomes the target for a womanizing and self-centered journalist named Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor). Catcher is declared a ladies man; man's man, and the man about town, who plans to exploit Barbara's book as rubbish by proving that she yearns for love and marriage, like every woman does in his eyes. Catcher's best friend and stressed editor is Peter McMannus (David Hyde Pierce), who does not totally agree with Catcher's actions and just wants love in his life.

After creating a different identity as a Texas astronaut named Zip Martin, Catcher begins seeing Barbara on a regular basis. Peter actually falls for Vikki, but becomes stricken to reveal to her his real feelings. As Barbara and Catcher begin to see more and more of one another, the spark between them changes their attitudes as well as their intentions.

Director Peyton Reed stays true to the 60's studio film formula throughout the progression of Down with Love. The visuals are very bright and colorful comprised with stock shots, fake backdrops, split screens, costumes, furnishings, and an impressive music composition of the time by Marc Shaiman. Reed and his two writers, Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake, maintain the 1960's elements from the opening to the closing credits. Outside of the writing, directing, and composing of music, the production design by Andrew Laws and costumes by Daniel Orlandi also must be given notoriety for the film's overall look.

This film has most notably been compared to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson 60's vehicle film Pillow Talk, in which the films of this time did have implications of sex constantly, but no nudity or actual sex scenes ever arose on the screen. Ditto in Down with Love, sex is talked about over and over, but the film never has an actual sex scene. Though the script, direction and all other parts of the production are a tribute to the 60's, I still found that some moments were overdone and flawed. Most of the examples arise in the concluding moments of the film, which includes a huge monologue by Renee Zellweger's Barbara Novak. During the monologue, which is more complementary for the actress than the film, the camera is sealed totally on her, rather than cutting to a reaction shot of the character she is speaking to. The characters drastic changes also seemed rushed and accepted too quickly, but that is part of the 60's studio formula.

Two of Hollywood's hottest stars deliver the goods in each of their Doris Day-Rock Hudson homage roles. As Barbara Novak, Zellweger flexes her talented acting muscles as the feminist writer that starts a phenomenon. Watch closely at her moments of chocolate devourment as a sexual substitute in certain scenes, they are terrific. Ewan McGregor plays the cocky Catcher with the "chud" like charisma that the character calls for, but I really did not care much for his Texan accent as his self-created alter ego Zip Martin. David Hyde Pierce is absolutely brilliant as Catch's best friend Peter, which is the character that Tony Randall would play next Rock Hudson in the 60's films. Pierce steals many moments with his physical comedy and facial expressions contributing to the film's best laughs. Tony Randall actually does make a cameo appearance in Down with Love and pays homage as Barbara's publisher, Theodore Banner. Rounding out the cast is Sarah Paulson, who is also likeable in her role as Barbara's editor, Vikki. The whole cast of the film share beautiful chemistry, especially the supporting performances by Paulson and Pierce.

Down with Love is a celebrated representation of the 1960's romantic comedies. The film, like Far From Heaven, is created exactly like the studio film genre of which it pays respect to. I thought that this film did go way overboard in moments, but it is overall amusing and funny.

Grade: B

05/26/03
By Joseph C. Tucker

"Down With Love Can’t Keep Its Groove On"

There is nothing as heartbreaking as a movie loaded with potential falling mysteriously flat, especially when said movie starts so deliciously or has so much potential. That’s the very case with Down With Love. A sex comedy molded out of the fabric of the Doris Day and Rock Hudson photoplays of the 1950’s and 60’s, this is a film that tries far too hard with far too little at stake.

In 1963 Manhattan, the battle of the sexes is just beginning to brew. Arriving to heat it up past boiling is young, brash New England writer Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger). Her new novel “Down With Love” supposes that women should stop equating sex and love as the same, to in fact treat the carnal act as a man does. In three simple steps, and with an ample supply of chocolate, any woman can start finding themselves on equal footing with the men in their lives, up to and including ordering the opposite sex al-a-carte much like they do with their women.

This doesn’t sit well with the hunky Catcher Block (Ewan McGreggor). The chief investigative reporter for the upscale men’s magazine “Know,” Catcher is the man about town and ladies man that every young boy aspires to be and every single woman fantasizes about ensnaring. So, that in mind, he’s not too happy when Miss Novak’s book starts breaking record sales and the women in his life start frowning upon his macho posturing.

Determined to prove that Barbara and all her “Down With Love” mania is just a big pile of hooey, Catcher impersonates a down home NASA astronaut named Zip Martin in single-minded quest to make the beautiful literary darling fall in love with him. When she does, he’ll have proven that her and the book are nothing more than hogwash, and he can then return to his chauvinistic pattern of lovin’em and leaven’em once more.

I shouldn’t have to tell you what sort of nonsense ensues. In all honesty, the basic principals of the romantic comedy haven’t changed much over time, and seeing that Down With Love celebrates those contrivances in all their cheesy glory don’t expect to be too surprised with these two hormonal lotharios find themselves falling for one another.

This isn’t a film to watch for the story arc, though. No, the fun of Down With Love is in watching its style. Director Peyton Reed (Bring It On) has tried to make a movie in 2003 as if it was made in 1963. From the Technicolor photography to the corny faux cityscape to the proud announcement of being filmed in CinemaScope, Down With Love revels in its campy 60’s glee.

On that level, it’s an astounding achievement. Reed and his crack team of designers have gone all out in recreating the look and the feel of Pillow Talk, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter and many others. Marc Shamian’s (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut) winning score is all cheeky bounces and bongos, while Andrew Law’s (Phone Booth) production design includes everything from a mysteriously appearing bed to an entire apartment that looks as if it was built inside a champagne bubble. Even better are Daniel Orlandi’s (Phone Booth) sublime costumes, Zellweger flamboyantly flouncing about in outfits so wondrously constructed it must have been pure bliss to show them off.

So why the disappointment? Well, unlike that other recent attempt to recreate a past filmmaking style, Todd Hayne’s superb Far From Heaven, Reed forgets to have his cast not admit to the shtick. Stars Zellweger, McGreggor, David Hyde Pierce (television’s Frasier) and Sarah Paulson (What Women Want) spend as much time winking back at the camera as they do making googly-eyes at one another. They can’t stop letting the audience know the whole thing is one large artificial joke, as such, they couldn’t help but take me right out of it.

I also didn’t like that Reed cast 60’s sex-comedy veteran Tony Randall (Let’s Make Love) as the aging philanderer of a publishing house and than proceeded to do nothing with him. It’s just another wink at the audience that Down With Love isn’t so much a movie as it is a game, a trick to see if a young 21st century filmmaker can make something screwball in the same vein as his 20th century contemporaries once did.

But these are not the movie’s main problems, that honor belongs to Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake’s script. Veterans of the television show The Nanny, they come up with a great premise and idea and then proceed to drop to the lowest common denominator of the television screenwriter’s barrel to bring it fruition. There can’t be a split screen unless the two actors in it aren’t appearing to felatiate each other, while the quick rat-a-tat-tat patter of 60’s era dialogue is replaced by tired innuendoes not even fit for a James Bond movie. It’s all too tiring to be funny for very long, and despite the valiant efforts of the actors Down With Love just never can gel because of it.

That’s too bad, because for all the movie’s faults the actors really give it their all. It’s obvious that both McGreggor and Zellweger love the film and the characters they are playing. In fact, I could definitely see them setting the screen afire together in a different film, sharing a flaming chemistry that’s easy on eyes. Granted, as sexy as these two are that’s probably a given but I’ll still point it out all the same. But, after Moulin Rouge and Chicago, these two must know in their hearts that they can – have – done better and if anything should have known to pass after reading the half-baked script.

But don’t tell any of that to Hyde Pierce. Of all the actors in the film, he does the least amount of fooling around and winking at the camera. If anyone in Down With Love can be spotlighted for playing it straight, he’s the one, and because of that the film is far better off every time he’s on screen. It’s a winning performance, and I was so happy to see him and young Paulson almost dance away with the movie.

Don’t misunderstand, there is much to like about this movie. From the deliciously corny opening credits to the sexily winking song and music video that ends the film, Down With Love has a great deal going for it to keep one’s interest. If only the script was better this would be one of the great pleasures of the summer. Unfortunately, as it is onscreen now, it’s only a great missed opportunity instead. What a shame.

By Sara Michelle Fetters

www.moviefreak.com

 

In 1963, New York was the place to be and lady’s man, man’s man, man about town Catcher Block (McGregor) was the best reporter in town. New England writer Barbara Novak (Zellweger) was just about to launch her book that would completely change Catcher’s and every other man’s world. Her feminist guide to sex over romance was becoming an instant best seller, so Catcher comes up with a plan to make Miss Novak fall in love with him, exposing her ‘Down with Love’ novel a complete sham.

Playing homage to the sex comedies of the 1960s starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Down with Love is a romantic comedy from the old school.

Full of innuendos, idealism and very liberal attitudes to sex, the movie captures the feel and look of the sixties superbly. Everything is lovingly recreated from the completely obvious stages, to the painted scenery, to the projected backgrounds during car rides or travel sequences and it all completes the look and feel of those popular comedies of that swinging age. A lot of credit has to go to director Peyton Reed and his crew, who must have had a real passion for the genre to capture everything in as much detail.

While Ewan McGregor and Renée Zellweger might not have the same star quality as their illustrious counterparts, the two still have great screen chemistry. McGregor takes to the role of lady’s man Catcher Block with his usual passion, exuding charm and charisma towards every woman he meets. Zellweger plays Barbara Novak with a confidence and a good sense of comic timing. She captures the feeling of women in that decade as they emerged from the downtrodden 50s into a more equality filled 1960s.

Support is good from Sarah Paulson as Barbara’s best friend and editor Vikki Hiller and while really just recreating his Frasier character Niles Crane in the 1960s, David Hyde Pierce is always very watchable and highly amusing.

Fans who remember the Day/Hudson comedies should really enjoy this. While story might be slight but with a few good twists and turns near the end, Down with Love is good fun and a welcome change from the normal, run of the mill rom-com.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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