(2003)
3
Perry Seibert
Peyton Reed's Down With Love walks a very fine line. By creating what is simultaneously a satirical look at and a sincere love-letter to the no-sex comedies of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Reed has fashioned a confection of a movie that will either alienate viewers or fill them with giddy delight. For the film to work on any level, the performers have to find and maintain the perfect tone. Luckily the players are more than up to the task. Ewan McGregor has the ability to preen without irony and still manage to communicate the humor in his character's vanity. Rarely has an actor gotten more laughs with just his body and boxer shorts. Renée Zellweger proves once again that she is a first-rate actress by expressing her character's proto-feminist thinking, while still being able to want for all the things she is supposedly against. She also delivers one of the most difficult but hilarious monologues ever written, and pulls it off in great style. David Hyde Pierce and Sarah Paulson provide flawless support throughout, with Hyde Pierce getting huge laughs with some very subtle throwaway material. Those unfamiliar with Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back may have a difficult time accepting the look, pace, and tone of the film, but those who appreciate style for the sake of style as well as unabashedly romantic comedies will find much to enjoy in Down With Love.
Down With Love on AllMovie
Down With Love (2003)
