Director: Anne Fletcher
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna
Genre: Romance/Comedy

Story

Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) seems to find herself in just about every wedding imaginable, but she has never found the guy for her. She is sick and tired of being in other people’s weddings and when her sister falls for the one guy Jane really liked she has had enough. Along the way she meets Kevin Doyle (James Marsden), a writer of the wedding articles Jane admires so much. Jane has to figure out how to get over the guy that her sister is now going to marry and at the same time fall in love with Kevin.

Everything Else

27 Dresses could not have been more predictable even for romantic comedies. There was the classic rise and fall, the goofy girlfriend, and the sappy “oh everything is great now” ending. Aside from the movie failing to veer off of a path that has been overplayed and overused, the directing wasn’t half bad. There were situations in 27 Dresses as there usually are that seemed ridiculous and could have been a lot better if they had just been toned down a little.

The acting was average with no performances that could jump out at you. The sister, whom I have forgotten or never cared to know the name of, was particularly annoying. The character was over the top in an annoying way. Katherine Heigl and James Marsden did well together, but they have sold themselves short in this film. There is no challenge for either of them with the talent that I am sure they have buried deep inside somewhere.

The Real Deal

Although 27 Dresses was probably not on the top ten list of worse romantic comedies ever, I certainly found it to be terrible. There was nothing original about it (not surprising) and the directing, acting, and story left a lot to be desired. 27 Dresses has been compared to The Devil Wears Prada because of the screenwriter; however, this movie did not come close to being as well made. Pass this one up unless you are looking for a disappointment.

Dave’s Score: 4/10

Written by Dave of Dave’s Movie Reviews

Story

Russell is a simple redneck who is constantly working on inventions. His wife Sissy is buying things off of the TV before Russell is able to get his invention noticed. But Russell has finally invented something that not even the Cranium Concepts on the TV can create. The only problem is that the part he needs to complete the invention is in the Big City and he and his friends are more than a little out of place in the Big City.

Everything Else

The Importance of Being Russell is an interesting comedy directed well with humor and special effects to go along with it. Although it is obvious independent filmmakers made this movie, some of the special effects were quite impressive. The humor may not have been spot on for me most of the time, but there are plenty of true to life jokes about rednecks.

The acting in the film is not overly great, but John Pickle was great as Russell. There are plenty of scenes showing off his talent of being a consistently ridiculous redneck. The Importance of Being Russell starts off a little on the slow side, but picked up about half way through as Russell and his friends set out for the Big City. The special effects were impressive for the surely next to nothing budget and the story was wacky enough to make a complete redneck journey from the sticks to the Big City.

The Real Deal

The Importance of Being Russell certainly has room for improvement, but as a comedy that was able to make me laugh out loud on more than one occasion I have to give it credit. The acting is just quirky enough to fit in with the crazy redneck antics and the characters are able to keep you entertained even if the humor doesn’t strike you just right. I would have liked the movie to have less language, as it often seems that filmmakers think foul language is a way to make the viewers take the movie more seriously. The truth is that the language almost makes the movie seem more insecure with itself and therefore opportunities for witty thoughtful dialog are replaced by the ‘f’ word. Aside from that it was a fun ride and I would love to see the same movie made with a larger budget because it has so much potential and the filmmakers have a real talent.

Dave’s Score: 6/10

Written by Dave of Dave’s Movie Reviews