27 Dresses

PASSING THOUGHTS
Usually romantic movies are like water rides at a theme park. The journey is pleasant with a few twists and turns, but it tends to be somewhat dull until the end when it cranks you up a hill and drops you down a chute. “27 Dresses” is more like a trip down rapids; it keeps you tossed and engaged the whole way down the river before gently releasing you into a tranquil pool. What makes this experience possible? In this case, it’s the richness of the characters.

The leads in romances typically only need three elements to function. They must be able to fall in love, the must be able to make mistakes, and they need to be able to reconcile. “27 Dresses” does a terrific job of making every character much more complex than the standard, and this adds to the entertainment value of the film as well as to the believability of the plot.

As the leading lady, Jane’s only problem isn’t finding a relationship. She’s fostering a secret crush on her boss that has her love-life on lockdown. She’s burdened with the feeling that she always has to do things for other people and take a backseat in her own life. She’s being pursued/harassed by a wedding-hating cynic who ironically turns out to be the writer of her favorite column. Added to all this is a conflict of interests with her boss and her sister, as well as a score of complications that unfold as the story goes on.

Kevin has very little screen time for a lead, but his character has a strong presence that makes you look forward to the scenes he’s in. His career is a sick joke; he hates weddings because his marriage fell apart soon after his own wedding, but his job is to attend and write about the wretched ceremony every week. His primary motivation escaping from this Hell, but in the process he becomes enamored of the selfless woman doing all she can to make everyone happy. This forces him to gradually face his cynicism and decide whether he’s going to move on or not.

The supporting characters are also multi-dimensional. Tess is kind and her intensions are good, but she is self-centered and lacks integrity. Casey is the typical wayward friend, but instead of being nothing more than a liability, she proves to be a solid friend and an asset to Jane.

BASICS

Your Cup O’ Tea:
If you enjoy romantic comedies as a whole, you have an appreciation for relational development, you like watching verbal tennis matches, or you want a clean film that focuses more on a gradual progression into love rather than a hot n’ heavy free-for-all.

Steer Clear:
If you’re hoping for a saccharine romance that starts within five minutes of the opening credits, or you’re in the mood for slap-stick relational comedy.

Nothing New Under the Sun:
Has the similar love triangle construction and antagonistic relationship of “Someone Like You” (which is really interesting ‘cause Katherine Heigl resembles a filled out Ashley Judd, and Ashley’s character is also named “Jane”), the fleshed out ensemble of “Notting Hill”, and the overall conflict-of-interest of “The Wedding Planner”.

Buy or Rent:
BUY. This movie has several entertaining moments linked together by conflict, chemistry, and some great dialogue. There’s not a lot of sentimental garbage bogging it down or making it hard to digest. If you liked it the first time through, you’ll most likely want to see it again. PS: The case is a very vibrant pink color, so for any fellas considering making the purchase, make sure you’ve got a spare black case sitting around.

FEATURES

-Languages

-Scenes

-The Wedding Party
Approx 14 minutes. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the movie as a whole. There is a lot of candid footage and no shortage of interviews, but neither of them presents anything new. The discussion is about the characters and what happens in the film; if you’ve already seen the movie, you know everything that’s being said already. There are a few tidbits of new information here and there, but not enough to justify 14 minutes of your time.
DUH! FACTOR: 9 out of 10

-You’ll Never Wear That Again
Approx 6.5 minutes. This featurette focuses on the wardrobe of the film—namely the 27 dresses that make an appearance. If you’ve got an interest in costume design or you were captivated by the dresses, then this is a nice bit of insight.
DUH! FACTOR: 5 out of 10

-Jane’s World
Approx 4.5 minutes. A brief look at how the filmmakers made Rhode Island look like New York City.
DUH! FACTOR: 5 out of 10
-The Running of the Brides
Approx 5 minutes. This has nothing to do with the film itself, but rather with wedding dresses. It’s about this even that happens at Filene’s Basement in New Jersey. Thousands of high-end wedding dresses go on sale for 74-94% off, and this of course draws women from all over the country. It’s shot as a documentary in the middle of the action, complete with interviews of the shoppers and the vendors.
DUH! FACTOR: 1 out of 10

-Deleted Scenes
Approx 3.5 minutes. There are 3 total: Jane Hails a Cab, Tess’ Bridesmaid Dresses, and Rescue of Gatsby. The first one is a twenty-second throw-away, but the other two are completely new scenes. The ‘Dresses’ scene has some more entertaining moments between Kevin, Casey, Tess, and Jane, and the ‘Gatsby’ scene features Gatsby, Tess and Jane. Nothing revealing, but worth a look.

-Inside Look (“What Happens in Vegas”)

Woulda Been Nice: To have a gag reel. For romantic comedies, that’s really the only behind-the-scenes material necessary.