Reviewed by Cassam Looch
Stars Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs,
Lindsay Sloane, Stephen Root, William Morgan Sheppard,
Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ali Hillis, Deborah Theaker
Written by Jeff Lowell
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 95 minutes
Directed by Jeff Lowell
Following a publicity blitz last week, Mrs Longoria is noticeable by her absence at the moment… perhaps its to do with the fact that we actually get to see her latest film this week? Oh and maybe this is a coincidence but the film in question is a right stinker!
Kate (Longoria Parker) is a highly-strung bride to be. Whilst going over the finer details of her wedding, she is unfortunately crushed by an ice sculpture. Distraught her Husband to be Henry (Rudd) struggles to move on and is forced by his sister to go and see a psychic. However Kate isn’t gone, she is infact a ghost on Earth to complete an as yet unknown mission before moving on to the afterlife. Unable to communicate with anyone Kate eventually finds Henry and Ashley (the psychic) forming a close relationship… and then manages to make contact with Ashley. Kate then sets about keeping her fiancé and Ashley apart thinking that it will lead to her salvation, but will her increasingly elaborate plans lead to more heartache for Henry?
Although Longoria isn’t going to win any acting awards for this role, she’s not all that bad in a fairly amusing role that never realises the potential it sets up. It’s actually the woefully weak Paul Rudd that really lets the side down here. I’ve never seen the fascination with Rudd as a comedy performer, his bland expressionless face and deadpan delivery is consistently outshone by more gifted comedians, and his acting abilities are outshone by inanimate objects. Unfortunately it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of Rudd on the screens, so check in advance before booking those tickets…
The film veers dangerously close to entertainment on a couple of occasions, but then the director realises his mistake and brings us back to a cliché ridden tedium we are so used to seeing. Although the two female leads work hard and come away with some credit, this movie is DOA… avoid. Where are the Ghostbusters when you really need them…