DVD Review: Down With Love (B-)

Down with Love (2003)
Directed by Peyton Reed
Starring Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch and Tony Randall
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B-

Review by Scott Standish

I have a thing for those wacky Doris Day - Rock Hudson comedies, so I came into this one with much trepidation. Would this be a massacre of those memories? Would it be a fitting homage to those lighter care-free romantic comedies of yore? In truth, Down With Love is a little of both. At the same time, Down With Love is neither as good as I was hoping, or as bad as I had feared.

Rene Zellweger is Barbara Novak, a young writer that tells women to eschew love in favor of spending more time working on their inner selves. She also proposes that women work hard to have equal rights in the home and in the work place. Ewan McGregor plays the swinging Hugh Hefner type magazine editor that tries to make her fall for him, for the lone reason that he wants to break the Barbara Novak myth. Its stupid, but thankfully the filmmakers are aware of the kitsch factor and are playing it to the hilt. David Hyde Pierce and Rachel Dratch are wasted in minor roles, and we also do not get to see enough of Tony Randall, a veteran of the original Doris Day - Rock Hudson movies of yesteryear.

Down With Love has its moments, especially when it moves into split screen mode. However, if you fall for this film, I strongly recommend that you go out and rent a wide screen version of Pillow Talk, perhaps the best of the genre.

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