Great film on a difficult topic - Hitch Reviews

This film tackles the tough questions. It disguises itself as your standard boy-meets-girl entertainment but underneath it is a very interesting commentary on love. This film should be required coursework at any film school be it Casting 101 or Character-Driven Plot 799. The actors and actresses in this film, even the bit players, are superb. I'll start at the top. Will Smith is extraordinary. This film will not attract academy interest given the packaging ("Date Movie" or "Chick Flick") and that is a shame because he proves with this role that his name belongs at the top of the A list. At the risk of jumping on the juggernaut bandwagon that is the Eva Mendes spin machine; I further stipulate that she alone is worth the price of admission not just to see her lovely beauty but to watch her flawless performance. Kevin James is brilliant and proves his mettle as a multi-talented actor capable of holding his own in any scene. Amber Valleta is remarkable as Allegra Cole. Julie Ann Emery plays Casey, Mendes' best friend, with grace and style. At first glance this movie looks like another self-righteous commentary on what a "guy" should be. It might have an unfortunate appearance of bias versus men at the outset but, in no small part thanks to Smith and James, the writing and the plot make it way more poignant and ten times more interesting than your standard male-basher or wussy-man sap story. The ending drags on a bit with Smith and Mendes' denoument and it pulls an almost mean-spirited slight of hand but it makes up for it in good fashion (not grand fashion) after that with some truly entertaining closing moments. I can't say it is a must-see but if you want a different introspective into the human condition, a slightly alternate view of dating, or just a refreshing look at love in general, go see this film.