The Ugly Truth (2009)
Directed by Robert Luketic
A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result.
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13 films that influenced The Ugly Truth
What critics say influenced The Ugly Truth
The film’s title may be a nod to Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth, and while Robert Luketic’s synthetic rom-com is, of course, worlds away from McCarey’s comedy-of-remarriage masterpiece, the charmingly brittle chemistry between leads Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler keeps things moving pleasurably enough along.
The title of The Ugly Truth echoes that of The Awful Truth, the 1937 Cary Grant-Irene Dunne battle-of-the-sexes film that essentially invented the comic-romantic persona that Grant would wear with such panache for the duration of his career.
But the screenwriters – Nicole Eastman and the "Legally Blonde" team Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith – don't do anything we haven't seen before, and better.
Director Robert Luketic ( 21 , Monster-in-Law , Legally Blonde ) has always been a strict adherent to the modern style-over-substance school of filmmaking, and The Ugly Truth is suitably glossy and slick.
It’s not that The Ugly Truth, directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde), isn’t sporadically funny.
No oneand that includes director Robert Luketic (2008's " 21 ") and screenwriters Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (the latter two responsible for 2001's " Legally Blonde " and 2008's " The House Bunny ," both far better)escapes entirely unscathed.
The people responsible for “The Ugly Truth’’ - director Robert Luketic and screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, sharing a credit with Nicole Eastman - were also responsible for “Legally Blonde.’’
…and 21), and written by the trio of Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (the last two of whom teamed up with Luketic on Legally Blonde), is a romantic comedy with a glacier where its heart should be.
Astute film goers will note similarities to previous tales of love and woe, including, in no particular order, He's Just Not That Into You, Cyrano de Bergerac, When Harry Met Sally and The Taming of the Shrew.
At a restaurant meeting with network clients, she happens to be wearing a pair of sexually vibrating panties that Mike gave her, and, in a gloss on Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in When Harry Met Sally... , she writhes, way too long, in ecstasy and mortification.
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The revelation that many of the people in Spencer's life are actually sleeper agents itching to kill him - think The Truman Show with guns - ultimately proves intriguing enough to compensate for the otherwise lackluster vibe, thus cementing Killers' place as an acceptable time-waster that just barely gets the job done.
Director Robert Luketic ( 21 , Monster-in-Law , Legally Blonde ) has always been a strict adherent to the modern style-over-substance school of filmmaking, and The Ugly Truth is suitably glossy and slick.
By now it’s a well-worn concept, and director Robert Luketic’s knack for delivering commercially successful but creatively shrugworthy formula films like “Monster-in-Law” and “21” doesn’t inspire much confidence that “The Ugly Truth” will find a fresh angle for it.
What it probably won't mention is that it's also from the same people who brought you such classics as "Monster-in-Law" and "The House Bunny."
Directed with workman-like efficiency by Australia’s Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Monster-in-Law).
A mild improvement over filmmaker Robert Luketic's last few efforts (The Ugly Truth, 21, Monster-in-Law, etc, etc), Killers follows uptight career woman Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) as she reluctantly agrees to tag along with her parents (Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara) on a trip to France.
He kicks things off by analyzing the marriage of coanchors Larry (John Michael Higgins, "For Your Consideration," "Yes Man"), emasculated since his wife has become more successful, and Georgia (Cheryl Hines, "Waitress," HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"), sexually frustrated since leapfrogging over her husband's career.
Leading actors Katherine Heigl (2008's " 27 Dresses ") and Gerard Butler (2007's " P.S.
Heigl ( Knocked Up , 27 Dresses ) stars in her third comedy in a similar role, as an overachiever careerist with no time for romance in her life.
A stellar turn in Judd Apatow's pregnancy hit Knocked Up , followed by wedding comedy 27 Dresses proved that she could more than hold her own on the big screen, but teamed with man's man Gerard Butler, best known for macho roles in 300 and RocknRolla , can she still deliver?
In "27 Dresses," she was literally the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Much like the characters Heigl played in Knocked Up and 27 Dresses, Abby is an anal, uptight control freak who works herself into a panic over the thought that she might never land a decent man.
Take Katherine Heigl ’s uptight TV character from “ Knocked Up ,” pit her against a cynical chauvinist not unlike her foil in “ 27 Dresses ,” then sit back and watch the magic happen.
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Supporting castmembers include Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), John Michael Higgins ( Yes Man , Best in Show ), Bree Turner ( Just My Luck ) and Eric Winter ( Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay ).
Movies like “There’s Something About Mary” and “Knocked Up” are the models, but this one adds a new wrinkle.
And I know that's a foolish thing to pick up on, but considering how dull the script is (from a story by Nicole Eastman, but polished by Luketic's "Legally Blonde" scripters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith), it was more diverting to listen for surprises in Butler's phonetics than watch gags recycled from movies like " There's Something About Mary " and " When Harry Met Sally " play out as pale copies of the originals.