Reviewed by Lizzie Husher
Stars Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Alistair McGowan, Bernice Stegers, Brian Palermo, Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, Caroline Goodall, Ian Ogilvy, Sophie Stuckey
Written by Mike Reiss
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 96 minutes
Directed by Donald Petrie
With the usually failsafe comic technique of culture-clash, combined with the Noughties’ favourite kind of anti-heroine - an unlucky-in-love career woman - you’d be forgiven for expecting Driving Aphrodite to be an enjoyable, if frothy, rom-com experience. Yet this Donald Petrie-directed (of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days) movie ? in which a Greek-American singleton returns to her mother country to work as an unappreciated and over-qualified tour guide – is little more than a big fat Greek disappointment.
Vardalos is likable as the down-trodden girl next door Georgia, but her bus journey from loveless underachievement to self-realization and budding romance is confused and silly, whilst the arguable climax – Georgia getting her man – comes too early to sustain our attention. The rum bunch of tourists, including a family of stuffy Brits, Fosters-swilling Aussies and amorous Spanish divorcees are neither familiar nor ridiculous enough to engage us, whilst the quaint charms of Greek life, so present in the Vardalos-starred (and written) My Big Fat Greek Wedding, are sadly absent. In fact, if it weren’t for the scenic shots of the ancient ruins, this movie could be set anywhere that has tour buses.
Dreyfuss’ effort as Irv the lonely widower is touching at times, particularly so as he dispenses sound advice to a fed-up Georgia, however, a scene involving him and a discussion about a little blue pill is inconsistent, and quite frankly bizarre. Irv’s quips often fall flat among the rest of the tour group, but with the audience, so does every joke in the film; the script is appallingly trite and quite often cringe-inducing, whilst the style is a muddle of raunchy comedy, and sickly sweet family romp.
The film’s alternative title is My Life in Ruins: a more accurate one might be The Romantic Comedy Formula in Ruins. Essentially the film is a sunny but unfunny affair, perhaps one for those who are very easily pleased, or those who have missed out on this year’s summer holiday, and need a dose of silver screen vitamin D.