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But while Heigl is terrific, this uninspired romantic
comedy is considerably less so. A tired pastiche of the 27-odd wedding-themed vehicles that
preceded it, the film essentially slaps together all the stuff
that worked so well the first or second time around, minus any
of the original charm or verve. That it manages to function at all is mainly Heigl's doing,
but judging from the half-empty theater reserved for the
picture's post-Christmas sneak preview, even her fans might get
the sense that they've walked down this aisle many times
before. Heigl's not-so-plain Jane is the owner of those 27 dresses
-- a perennial bridesmaid who has kept all of them, no matter
how hideous -- squished into the closet of her already-cramped
New York apartment with the hope of one day being the main
attraction. She has always been there for her friends and longtime boss
(Edward Burns), for whom she has harbored an unrequited crush,
but her charitable instincts are about to be put to the supreme
test when her bratty, globetrotting kid sister (Malin Akerman)
comes to town and proceeds to strike up an instant love
connection with said employer. Meanwhile, Jane also has been fending off the perpetual
advances of a cynical writer (James Marsden), who, unbeknown to
her, pens those Commitment columns in the New York Journal,
which she has been secretly clipping out for years. Will Jane finally find happiness with the right guy or is
she destined for Bridesmaid's Dress No. 28? Does the devil wear
Prada? It so happens that the person responsible for the "27
Dresses" script is none other than "The Devil Wears Prada"
screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, but in fashion world
parlance, this one's a shameless knockoff. Jerky boss? Check. Sardonic best friend? Check (played by
Judy Greer). Scene in which everybody takes part in an
impromptu golden oldie sing-along? Check. (Here it's Elton
John's "Bennie and the Jets.") Just as McKenna's script brings absolutely nothing new to
the wedding movie table, matters aren't helped any by Anne
Fletcher's flat, pedestrian direction. The former choreographer
who made her directorial debut with the inner-city dance drama
"Step Up," fails to lend this New York story (filmed
extensively in Rhode Island) a much-needed visual shot of
vitality. While Peter James' camera clearly loves Heigl and the
actress looks to have a promising motion picture career ahead
of her, "27 Dresses," with its recycled sentiments and empty
gestures, won't be the one to build on that "Knocked Up"
momentum. Here, she and Marsden do what they can to work with a
chemistry that feels dictated rather than organic, but at the
end of the day, they're hopelessly stuck with hand-me-down
material that is really beginning to look and feel its age. Casey: Judy Greer
George: Edward Burns
Hal: Brian Kerwin
Director: Anne Fletcher; Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna;
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman;
Executive producers: Bobby Newmyer, Becki Cross Trujillo,
Michael Mayer, Erin Stam; Director of photography: Peter James;
Production designer: Shepherd Frankel; Music: Randy Edelman;
Costume designer: Catherine Marie Thomas; Editor: Priscilla
Nedd Friendly.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter |
Having nicely
established her big-screen credibility with the summer hit
"Knocked Up," 
