A Rom-Com I liked

Generally, I'm not a fan of Rom-Com films. Very few have passed muster with me. That's not to say I dislike films others would consider mediocre--sometimes I love those the most. And it's strange that I don't like Rom-Coms because I am very much the romantic at heart.

For some reason, I like this one. I'll admit Hugh Jackman is the biggest draw for me. Though his wonderful acting is not fully showcased in this movie, he's still very good,and he makes my heart flutter...really, he's a fantasy man. Liev Schreiber is fantastic, but I also chalk that up to the fact that he's an excellent actor & can take on about any role.

Of course like most Rom-Coms, there are mistakes, etc. i.e.,historical inaccuracies. But for this movie, I will suspend my disbelief & not think about it too much...it's just one of those sort of films.

I'm not really a fan of Meg Ryan. In her whole career I think I've seen her in 2 films where I didn't find her an annoying distraction. In this, what made it worse? She was miscast (& yes I understand that many people see a vehicle like this & think of her), the hair was edgy, but over-the-top as it attempted to "explain" what a modern woman she was (abetted by most of her clothing...ugh, terrible terrible terrible... remember the scene when he sees his uncle's home & finds his hidden old box full of personal treasures? The person who dressed her in those jeans, making *jeans* somehow look even worse by pairing them with a nondescript brown top & jacket, should've been fired. Ryan is has a slim/athletic build--very straight--& she's small-breasted. A better costumer would've put her in modern/edgy-but-feminine clothes, comfortable but not clunky shoes, & softened the hair a bit. I found her character's personae irritating & it wasn't helped by the "look" they gave her. Ryan's "new & improved" lips also didn't help; they just looked "fishy" to me. Having said all this, she does seem to have great skin." Hair/clothing, in a movie of *this type* should enhance, not hinder, a character, not to mention not be used to flesh out a character who would otherwise come off as one-dimensional.) Ryan's performance was rather insincere. A couple of people on this board mentioned Sandra Bullock, because apparently she was considered. There's something about Bullock that Ryan lacks...emotional depth? Maybe. Anyway...

And yes, the dog was awesome. Wouldn't have minded more dog. :-)

It was nice to see this movie after so many years.