Not a bad romantic-comedy, but doesn't come near the level of charm, sophistication and believability as those old Cary Grant-style bedroom farces because, in my opinion, it's badly cast. Both Clooney and Zeta-Jones, while usually more than competent, seem to struggle with the tone of the piece. Clooney overacts like crazy - mugging and emoting and obviously playing it for laughs... but as we all know, great comedy seldom advertises itself. Chaplin, Keaton -- even Cary Grant for that matter -- never seemed to be saying, hey, look at me, I'm being funny! I just wanted Clooney to tone it down a bit, make me feel his angst, his frustration at having everything except the most important thing of all.
Zeta-Jones had a particularly difficult challenge -- to make a very unlikeable gold-digger somehow seem vulnerable, empathetic and sweet. The script didn't help, giving her little to play with -- and, ultimately, you just couldn't understand why Miles Massey (Clooney) would fall head-over-heels for someone who was as personable and charming as a cardboard cutout.
...Still, it was nice to see the Coens do something decidedly so un-Coenlike.
Zeta-Jones had a particularly difficult challenge -- to make a very unlikeable gold-digger somehow seem vulnerable, empathetic and sweet. The script didn't help, giving her little to play with -- and, ultimately, you just couldn't understand why Miles Massey (Clooney) would fall head-over-heels for someone who was as personable and charming as a cardboard cutout.
...Still, it was nice to see the Coens do something decidedly so un-Coenlike.