Brombergs 2 Cents

The Ugly Truth: A Chick Flick for the Men?



Posted: Thursday, August 26, 2010

by Brombergs 2 Cents

Here is a romantic comedy that earns its R rating, not for sex or violence (there is no violence and hardly any sex) but for language. The film is delightfully edgy and most will feel refreshed that it isn't just a run-of-the-mill rom-com in that the writing keeps viewers interested from start to finish. While the plot is predictable, this is one of those movies where even though you know how things will end, the art is in the execution.

 Katherine Heigl stars as a Sacramento news show producer. Her character is a hardcore control freak with lists galore and ideas about how everything should be done, even a date. In the beginning of the film, she is on a date that is grossly pre-planned by her on how it should be run, which clearly cuts any chance of spontaneity. Gerard Butler plays a just-getting-his-break television show personality that deals with his view of relationships, which the public find interesting due to his uniquely crass style. The predictability comes in where you see the two characters as different people in the beginning of the movie and come to (who would've thought?) actually like and even love each other by the end of the film. Despite the familiar story arc, the cast works hard at the comedy and the dialogue is crisp and edited well. The characters are likable enough for me to recommend this movie, but certainly don't watch it with your grandma.

While Gerard Butler is known for his masculine role in "300" his performance is believable and realistic as the misogynistic love guru not unlike a local shock jock on the radio that does what needs to be done in the interest of ratings and salient programming. We like his character because he tells it like it is and he represents everything that the typically clean-cut and linguistically conservative anchorman is not.

 I would not put this film in the same category as "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle," or other rom-com classics and I would not recommend this movie to see at the theater because it is not visually spectacular by any means. With that said, it is a perfect date movie for the inexpensive DVD night in which both members of the couple want to be entertained (not just the woman).

Yes, guys can actually appreciate this movie because the male lead (Butler) is on the guys' side and he makes the movie fun and worth it. Let's be honest, it won't ever be as entertaining to guys as a Batman or Bond movie, but as far as this genre goes, it is one of the more entertaining pieces, for the guys' perspective.

The problem with this or any other romantically inclined picture is that we often stick movies of this genre into the category of "ehh, probably a cheesy chick flick that'll make her happy, but, good lord, this will be another lovey-dovey snooze-fest for me... well at least she'll be in the mood for ‘after-movie sex' and that just might make up for those lost 90 minutes of my life, ok I'll rent this for her."

How can we differentiate this rom-com from the bad ones? This did not get good reviews by most critics so, no help there. Do we just have to give this (or any other chick flick) a chance and hope for the best? It would seem that this is ultimately what we, as cautious guys who don't want to waste our lives but want to make her happy, have to do. That, I argue, is the ugly truth. 3 stars out of 4.
Currently finishing up a masters degree in Communication Studies in Sacramento, Mike is an international award winning public speaker and avid fan of film, travel, and comedy. Tired of movie reviews full on summary and light on substance? Prefer a psychological perspective that attempts to shed insight and intrigue on little known or mainstream movies? Hopefully these articles will inform, enlighten, entertain, or at least stimulate curiosity in films young and old that find a relevant place in today's society. Thank you.

Mike's articles can be seen at: brombergsblog.com

This Article has been viewed 269 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Jennifer Stewart
 1 year 272 days ago.
153 fans.
Great idea, to put the trailer! It sounds v. funny to me, although I agree it's probably not a 4. Too bad they didn't make more of it because the script sounds pretty slick.
 
And you don't like rom-coms? I bet you do, secretly!
» left by Brombergs 2 Cents 1 year 272 days ago.
14 fans.
Well, I do like rom-coms... but I try to stay away from the really sappy, cheesy ones, if I can. You know? I mean, as a guy, there's only so much boy meets girl, boy hates girl, over time boy comes to love girl, boy kisses girl, boy can't live without girl, and so on and so forth... that a man can take, because the next thing I know I start watching Oprah and Martha Stewart on a regular basis and take up needlepoint. (just kidding) My motto: The art is in the execution.
» left by David Levitt
 1 year 267 days ago.
29 fans.
Mr.Bromberg, this was very nice. Only read it to rate it on readers club, because I personally do not watch movies anymore, not that I don't like them, just rarely have time to sit and watch one anymore and I don't like to start things I never intend to finish. I watch the movie of life everyday, my family and friends mostly, but should I need a rating I will certainly find one that you have rated, mainly because you leave compelling comments on many articles. Best to you sir.
» left by Brombergs 2 Cents 1 year 266 days ago.
14 fans.
I hate stopping a movie halfway and seeing the rest another day, but sometimes I have to do that because I am too tired or busy to invest a full two hours... so I hear ya on that one. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my article!          -Bromberg
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