|
"She Wants To Have
Her Man and Eat Him
Too..." |
 |
Directed by Nisha
Ganatra - Written by
Tassie Cameron
Starring Heather Graham,
Taye Diggs, David
Sutcliffe, Sandra Oh,
Sarah Chalke
Distributed by Lions
Gate -
2006 - 94m - Rated PG13 |
| |
|
Pornography for Sorority Freshmen... |
| |
Heather Graham stars
in this pretty pink lace bow of a movie, alternately flashing her
pearly white smile and puppy dog eyes from scene to scene. One gets
the feeling that watching the straight-to-DVD release with you are
thousands of sorority girls braiding each other's hair while wearing
fluffy animal slippers and pretending to cry.
Graham plays Pippa McGee (a movie name if there ever was one), a free
spirit (slut) with a penchant for impulsive decisions (one night
stands) and globe hopping adventures (inability to commit). We get the
prerequisite explanations for her issues: A mother who died when she
was a teenager; A distant father who is too hard on her; A group of
friends who have an unspoken pact to remain independent and strong
without the help of a man.
Pippa returns from one of her freelance adventure trips to find her
father on the verge of a heart-attack and in need of someone to help
run one of his magazines... Surprise, surprise... It is a bridal
magazine named 'Wedding Bells'. And isn't that just the dream job for
girls who wear pink pajamas?
Needless to say, the magazine causes her problems being that she
stands for everything that the magazine condemns. Her first issue is
an unqualified disaster.
Then, as per screenwriting 101, she meets two guys who will inevitably
form the other two corners of the film's love triangle. Taye Diggs
plays the studly photographer who shares Pippa's love for
non-committal sex and fun. David Sutcliffe plays the straight-laced
business man who wants more from Pippa than a quickie in the hot-tub.
I am one of the biggest romantics you'll meet, but even I have nothing
but respect for singles who feel that marriage is a ludicrous
institution that is either ultimately doomed to fail or descend into a
comfortable acceptance of routine and safe boredom. This film seems to
be championing the notion that women shouldn't feel the need to 'find
a man' in order to feel complete. But the final act pulls the rug from
under that notion and the movie fizzles into a standard rom-com
riddled with "You Go Girlfriend" scenes and cheesy b-grade love songs.
Now... I think that Heather Graham is utterly underrated as an actress
because of a few choice roles as the quintessential ditzy blonde with
big boobs. But she has actually been far better than people give her
credit for in films like "Boogie Nights", "Two Girls & a Guy",
"Sidewalks of New York", "Swingers", "From Hell" & "The Guru". She is
quite easily capable of carrying a film with energy and charisma. She
is even good in this fluffy film despite having little to work with in
terms of a script.
I liked the pace of the film. I thought Heather was fun to watch. The
romances are cutesy, if not substantive. The 'friends' are amusing
from time to time, led by the always refreshing Sandra Oh (Sideways)
and Sarah Chalke (Scrubs). Diggs and Sutcliffe are nice counterpoints
to one another. And the overall production was colorfully distracting
enough to merit a passable grade. But there isn't anything here to
really chew on... well hardly anything. "Cake" is a high-school
cheerleader's wet dream of what life might become. I say we let her
have that dream before she gets knocked up by the college senior who
will dump her, leaving her to drop out of school as a single mom
applying for a job at Taco Bell. |
| |
|
© Written by TC Candler -
Email Me! |
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
|
