By Alex Brown
As a woman, I am one Y-chromosome short of the genetic makeup necessary to appreciate Jennifer Lopez to the greatest extent. However in her most recent venture, The Wedding Planner, Lopez downplays her more obvious assets in favour of a grownup attempt at acting.
As the title suggests, Lopez plays a professional wedding planner named Mary, and plays the role surprisingly well. For the most part she is able to create at least some sense of believability in her character as she bustles around diffusing the potential hazards which apparently tend to arrive at any wedding.
Of course, in a cruel twist of Hollywood fate, San Francisco’s most powerful wedding planner is single. Single and cynical, until the fateful day when she is nearly crushed by a wayward dumpster as she tries to free her new shoe from the manhole in which it is ensnared. Enter knight in shining armor Dr. Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey) who saves her from such a grisly end. He scoops her up and they ride off into the sunset.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t end there. In fact, it goes on and on, down the predictable path which all syrupy-sweet romantic comedies seem to tread. Innumerable complications arise to distance Mary from Steve. Namely, she is currently involved in planning his wedding. Does anybody question how this story is going to end? It’s not hard.
While the plot is sickeningly predictable and the dewy looks exchanged across numerous love triangles make even the iron-stomached want to puke, the movie may not be a total loss for those who are devoted to "Once upon a time’s" and happy endings.
No one likes to admit it, but at the right time and place, everyone craves a little bit of fairytale romance. This movie can fill that void. Let’s face it–McConaughey and Lopez do meet all the beautiful people requirements imposed on actors in this sort of film.
The movie is definitely lacking the appeal and humour of more polished romantic comedies such as Notting Hill, but if you can accept it for what it is–candy floss–then maybe you will find a place in your heart for this saccharine fluff. But not in the theatres, as it is only just barely worth $4 to rent it.