AllMovie

There is a sweet, affectionate romantic comedy around the edges of this Australian throwaway picture, but unfortunately, it rears its head far too little, instead favoring a broad approach that sometimes works, but often feels like a warmed-over sitcom. Hugo Weaving proves his unmistakable versatility here, with a performance much different than those he has played in the past. It seems like a role written for a Hugh Grant type, but Weaving is more than up to the challenge. His co-star, the pretty but vapid Natalia Novikova, doesn't have the same attributes and the love story at its center fails as a result. For its sometimes inventive direction by Stavros Kazantzidis, the movie is not much different than other Australian offerings, or for that matter, American comedies of the last 20 years. Thankfully, the movie never goes on past any unreasonable length and moves breezily, but when it is all over, it offers very little that is fresh or interesting.