"Catch Me if You Can" reawakened my appreciation of an era that previously I had only experienced as a pre-teen. Thanks to clever choices of scenes in the previews, I had looked forward to "Down With Love" because it promised to revisit the 60's again with affection and sexual playfulness. What a complete disappointment. Is Spielberg the only one in Hollywood who knows how to get the early 60's right?
The main players (except for Hyde-Pierce and Randall) were not up to the demands of the genre. You need a leading man who is drop-dead handsome and intelligent to deliver those rapid-fire dialog lines....wasn't Hugh Jackman available between X-Men commitments? You need a leading lady who can portray innocence mixed with sophistication...weren't either Bridget Fonda or Gweneth Paltrow free? Some GEN-X casting agent obviously thought that just because Ewan and Renee had lucked out and landed musical roles lately that they were perfect for this movie. Wrong. Dead wrong. Zip chemistry. Nada understanding of the real meaning of the word, TANG. They overacted, smirked and generally cloyed their way through this mess.
Most importantly, the writers overstepped the genre's very strict rules of GOOD TASTE in sexual innuendo and went way overboard in those split-screen sequences. It was a blatant attempt to keep the MTV-ers in the audience amused, in the only manner they have been accustomed to, with crude, vulgar references to sexual practices that never really got mentioned in the real 60's comedies. I thought Austin Powers was going to show up on screen any minute. No PG-13 rating was needed on those real sex romps. They were clever enough to use leads who were brimming with sexual tension and smarts. They kept their clothes on and yet they moved the earth when their eyes locked. Think of James Garner with Doris Day, Brain Keith with Maureen O'Hara, or, of course, Tony Curtis with Natalie Wood.
Better yet, go to the video store now, and spend the money you would have wasted on supporting this tripe right there. Rent "Parent Trap", "Sex and the Single Girl", and "Move Over, Darling." and you'll get the real deal. If you are young enough that you missed Rock Hudson then rent "Pillow Talk" too. You'll see how split screen sequences were supposed to be done. "Down With Love" is a big thumbs-down.
The main players (except for Hyde-Pierce and Randall) were not up to the demands of the genre. You need a leading man who is drop-dead handsome and intelligent to deliver those rapid-fire dialog lines....wasn't Hugh Jackman available between X-Men commitments? You need a leading lady who can portray innocence mixed with sophistication...weren't either Bridget Fonda or Gweneth Paltrow free? Some GEN-X casting agent obviously thought that just because Ewan and Renee had lucked out and landed musical roles lately that they were perfect for this movie. Wrong. Dead wrong. Zip chemistry. Nada understanding of the real meaning of the word, TANG. They overacted, smirked and generally cloyed their way through this mess.
Most importantly, the writers overstepped the genre's very strict rules of GOOD TASTE in sexual innuendo and went way overboard in those split-screen sequences. It was a blatant attempt to keep the MTV-ers in the audience amused, in the only manner they have been accustomed to, with crude, vulgar references to sexual practices that never really got mentioned in the real 60's comedies. I thought Austin Powers was going to show up on screen any minute. No PG-13 rating was needed on those real sex romps. They were clever enough to use leads who were brimming with sexual tension and smarts. They kept their clothes on and yet they moved the earth when their eyes locked. Think of James Garner with Doris Day, Brain Keith with Maureen O'Hara, or, of course, Tony Curtis with Natalie Wood.
Better yet, go to the video store now, and spend the money you would have wasted on supporting this tripe right there. Rent "Parent Trap", "Sex and the Single Girl", and "Move Over, Darling." and you'll get the real deal. If you are young enough that you missed Rock Hudson then rent "Pillow Talk" too. You'll see how split screen sequences were supposed to be done. "Down With Love" is a big thumbs-down.