The redeeming thing - and it's really all in Heigl's performance - is that Jane knows she's a silly cliché, and spends most of the movie inwardly wincing at her own haplessness.
27 Dresses (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:12
Fresh:6
Rotten:6
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: The filmmakers perfectly follow the well-worn romantic comedy formula, rendering 27 Dresses clichéd and mostly forgettable.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for language, some innuendo and sexuality.
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:27-03-2008
Synopsis: KNOCKED UP's Katherine Heigl stars in this romantic comedy about a selfless young woman who is trapped in the role of perennial bridesmaid. Set in New York City, the film opens with Jane (Heigl)... KNOCKED UP's Katherine Heigl stars in this romantic comedy about a selfless young woman who is trapped in the role of perennial bridesmaid. Set in New York City, the film opens with Jane (Heigl) racing by cab to appear in two friends' weddings in the same night. She is the maid of honor for both fetes, and she rushes back and forth in time to shimmy to both electric slides. She meets Malcolm (James Marsden), a cynical young man who, unbeknownst to her, writes for a newspaper's wedding column. Malcolm is intrigued by the sheer number of times Jane has played bridesmaid, and he secretly decides to write a story about her. To further complicate Jane's life, her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) has just come to town and ensnared Jane's longtime crush, George (Edward Burns). When George and Tess become engaged, Jane faces the humiliating prospect of playing bridesmaid in the wedding of her sister and the man she loves. Meanwhile, Malcolm continues hounding Jane, and Jane's life and closet soon explode in a taffeta-tangled mess that forces her to make some big changes. Heigl is a pleasure to watch, as she has the kind of crowd-pleasing, no-nonsense presence that could ground any film, so 27 DRESSES greatly benefits from her comedic skill and charm. While the film features all of the hallmarks of chick flick fare (wacky best friend, dress-up sequence, obnoxious but strangely attractive love interest) the story often veers into territory that may leave some feeling it stretches even the romantic comedy standards for suspension of disbelief. Heigl deserves comparisons to Julia Roberts for her sheer likability, and like PRETTY WOMAN, women will likely watch 27 DRESSES as a pleasant diversion--aware of the fantasy, but still delighted by the attractive lady in the different outfits. [More]
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns, Melora Hardin, Judy Greer
Director: Anne Fletcher
Director: Anne Fletcher
Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna
Producer: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman
Composer: Randy Edelman
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Reviews for 27 Dresses
What a maddening waste of Katherine Heigl this insipid romantic comedy is.
The story requires an antagonist, so Jane’s sister is painted as a monster for most of the film. At the end, however, she is reshaped as Jane’s close friend and confidante. The film’s credibility crumbles like stale wedding cake.
A palatable, frothy chick-flick confection with just enough fire in its belly to hold the attention and a star turn by Katherine Heigl, at heart this is as pleasantly vacuous as they come: 27 dresses and nothing going on.
hops along merrily enough thanks to an engaging turn from Heigl, who’s nailed the unusually-pretty-girl-next-door act while embracing physical and risqué comedy.
Cute, cute, cute. No bouquets for originality, but it pushes all the buttons of this mini-genre, and Heigl and Marsden ring dem bells.
The humour's lively and just irreverent enough to make you laugh without offending your mum.
27 Dresses makes the point that modern American weddings are all pretty much alike. The same could be said about modern American romantic comedies.
27 Dresses is one heck of a happy date movie. Smiling faces are guaranteed on all seen exiting when the credits finally do roll here.
27 Dresses dutifully privileges its formulaic plot over its stick-figure characters, slapping a happy ending on a setup that, say, Happiness director Todd Solondz could have gone to town on.
Frothy, funny and formulaic, this pleasantly predictable romantic comedy may be viewed as another step forward for Katherine Heigl.
While Heigl is terrific, this uninspired romantic comedy is considerably less so.
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