Something Borrowed (Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski) : Movie Reviews

Something old, something new, Something Borrowed, something blue – we’re all very familiar with the saying, and now we have the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with this run of the mill chick flick that centres around two polar opposite best friends, Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Darcy (Kate Hudson).

Based on the novel by Emily Giffin, Rachel faces a dilemma when her college friend, and object of her long, unspoken affection, begins dating her best friend and six years later, proposes to her. On her 30^th birthday; and after one too many drinks, Rachel confesses her crush to Dex (Colin Egglesfield) and inadvertently throws a spanner in the wedding works.

The curious thing about this romantic comedy, directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door), is how it can’t decide what message it’s trying to convey to its audience. Are we to believe marriage is sacred, that Rachel has lost her opportunity with Dex and should move on, or should we be rooting for Dex and Darcy to break up, cheering when Dex cheats on his soon to be wife?

The lax attitude to the film’s consistency concerning values does little to help you side with either situation or character, and as a result it is Rachel’s long time friend Ethan (John Krasinski) who wins the audience’s attention and the film’s better quips.

The relationships in the film are curious, to say the least. One could consider them perfectly written to create dramatic tension however there must also be an element of realism present for a good romantic comedy to transcend the screen and resonate with the audience.

While Rachel-Darcy friendships do exist in reality, it’s hard to believe they would to this extreme, with Darcy’s eternal selfishness it’s hard to believe, or care, about our protagonist Rachel when she acts as a doormat. Dex and Darcy are a ridiculous couple with Dex, who is a lawyer, apparently content to date a wild party girl for six years when he’s always been in love with someone else. It’s all just a bit far-fetched.

One can lose themselves in even the silliest of films but with no trace of reality Something Borrowed comes off at times as lazy filmmaking and screenwriting.

With all that said, and without diminishing the medium of film to “masterpiece” or “date night material”, this movie is ripe for those looking for an easygoing, occasionally funny, escapist experience.

Krasinski is the clear highlight, with zingers about the Hamptons being a zombie film directed by Ralph Lauren, and Goodwin is charming as always as the slightly shy, slightly nerdy underdog.

Hudson rolls out one of her trademark “self-involved friend” performances, not dissimilar to her role in the abysmal Bride Wars. Egglesfield as the confused man of the hour Dex, does little more than stand around and look pretty, occasionally donning thick knitted jumpers for the Hamptons or walking around with a half open shirt.

Something Borrowed is an uneven romantic comedy, full of flaws and one too many unlikeable characters there is some charm to this film for those willing to get lost in it.

WATCH OUT FOR | RATING : 3 OUT OF 5