A Lot Like Love

When I first saw a trailer for A Lot Like Love I wanted to see it, as I like these light, slice of life, love stories now and then. But then I heard a few reviews that were less than kind to the film, in particular Amanda Peet's preformance as the female lead. To be honest I am not a fan of hers really but I think those comments were unfair, both her and Kutcher made solid, believeable charachters, the problem, I think, lies with the fact that they did't 'sparkle' together, an unfortunate lack of chemistry. There were some great points of humor in this and the film was down to earth and realistic without being too gritty and dull. You may think you've seen it all before but the addition of a deaf sibling, a dead mother and naked photography (!?) all add to make this an above average rom com, well worth a look.

The film 'A Lot Like Love' is a cute love story starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet (directed by Nigel Cole). The blend of comedy and romance is amusing but is it really worth the trip to the theater?

The story is about two unlikely friends, Oliver (Kutcher) and Emily (Peet), who repeatedly attempt to have something more than their less than perfect relationship. As more obstacles get in the way, Emily and Oliver somehow fall in love more than ever. The film shows how they fight to become happy and find that happiness has been waiting for them all along.

To begin with, the plot is somewhat predictable. I mean sure with all love stories you pretty much know what's going to happen the minute you walk in the theater, but this one is really predictable. It seems to drag out what you already know is going to happen from scene one while adding in a few laughs to keep you decently satisfied in between. But even the laughs aren't as amusing as the commercials make them out to be.

The dialogue however is clever and has several high points. The connection you can feel between Kutcher and Peet is strengthened by the witty script. The script is the one thing I could never quite predict.

The characters/cast are what pulled the whole movie together. Peet and Kutcher were a perfect match, the chemistry shining throughout the movie. Kutcher shows a side of himself that you don't see in his other films (Butterfly Effect, Guess Who, My Boss' Daughter, etc.). Peet, whom I had never heard of before this film, absolutely took over the screen and showed a charismatic, enigmatic, and energetic performance that blew me away.

All in all, a decent film, if you can stop and appreciate the work put into it. Not one of my favorites. I wouldn't watch it again if I had other choices, but if you're into the sappy romances, you may wanna check it out. Kutcher fans would also enjoy, as this was a good show on his part.