“Laws of Attraction” is a rarity among such flicks for a couple of reasons: one, the protagonists are old enough to drink (legally – which they do. A lot.), and two, (as unlikely as it may sound) the movie’s theme is that marriage is worth fighting for. Four decades after the sexual revolution hammered mightily against God’s first institution, someone in Hollywood is finally getting a clue.
“Laws of Attraction”
New Line Cinema
Spring has sprung and the new crop of romantic comedies are in bloom. And no where do they look prettier than in Ireland.
“Laws of Attraction” is a rarity among such flicks for a couple of reasons: one, the protagonists are old enough to drink (legally – which they do. A lot.), and two, (as unlikely as it may sound) the movie’s theme is that marriage is worth fighting for. Four decades after the sexual revolution hammered mightily against God’s first institution, someone in Hollywood is finally getting a clue. Go figure.
Pierce Brosnan (Remington Steele, James Bond) plays rumpled, but brilliant divorce attorney Daniel Rafferty, who does not believe in divorce. He squares off frequently against Audrey Woods, played by Oscar nominee Julianne Moore (The Hours), a straight-laced, by-the-books divorce attorney who doesn’t believe in relationships. When a high profile case pits them on opposite sides of a rock star and his designer wife, who both want the castle in Ireland, the stakes get even higher. A drinking bout at a local pub results in the sparring partners becoming marriage partners – a fact that thrills Daniel and sends Audrey into hysterics.
Grab a Mac Truck, a Sherman tank, a Hummer or your vehicle of choice and you can find a plot hole big enough to drive through. Who cares? The dialogue is crisp and breezy. The Irish countryside is breathtaking. Brosnan and Moore look great together. And Frances Fisher as Audrey’s never-gonna-grow-up socialite mom is fabulous.
There is a lot to admire about the movie’s theme of the sanctity of marriage. Daniel’s upbraiding of the legal profession is worth the price of admission, and watching Julianne Moore squirm when she gets caught eating “comfort food” is a hoot. Still, this is an “adult” romantic comedy and there are plenty of antics that you probably don’t want your kids emulating. The language (though relatively tame by today’s standards) is coarse at times, and the booze flows a little (a lot!) too freely. And while they got the message about marriage, Hollywood is still pretty fuzzy about the issue of fornication.
“Laws of Attraction” is a light and fluffy romantic comedy that delivers some genuine, out loud laughs. It is rated PG-13 for sexual content (though there is no nudity) and vulgar language.
Mike and Paula Parker review media and culture from their home in Smyrna, Tennessee. Visit them online at www.wordcrafts.net
