The summer's other big studio romantic comedy, next to last week's The Proposal which made a preposterous 150 million at the US box office. The Ugly Truth didn't make those numbers, but it will in all likeliness bottom out at about 75 million which is certainly a cool take for an R rated romantic comedy with B list names. Although maybe, after this, Katherine Heigl must now be called a bankable movie star with her three films post Grey's Anatomy all making 60 mil plus. Heigl gets a lot of hate on the internet as she trash talks co-stars, complains about work hours, smokes infront of children, kidnaps and kills babies ect.. But, going on her movies alone, there are certainly worse leading lady's out there, and given the fact that her two stand-alone films so far have pretty much both been shite and she still is retaining her draw, there's something about her at least.
Because The Ugly Truth is by and large a shite movie. It pertains to be a romantic comedy for adults, but it still follows the childlike formula that has seemingly become biblical in its influence on movie-makers. It just throws a few fucks and bullshits around to throw you off the scent. Which actually does make it a little better, but it can't hide its true face for too long. The plot, which sees Neanderthal, misogynist TV host Mike (Gerard Butler) take a job under the principled feminist, control-freak producer Abby (Heigl) and teach her the value of relationship nihilism, T &A and the over-ratedness of self-respect. The sheer amount of screenplay's written by men that don't understand the female character is astronomical, but here we get a rare example of the shoe being on the other foot. Mike is very much the misogynist from the female perspective, in that he still has a heart and is capable of falling in love. He's just been hurt before. This is close to being the romantic comedy's version of the horror movie's ' he was abused as a child so its ok' attitude to serial killers. They don't really get into the real reasons why people are this way, which maybe they shouldn't considering its light genre, but still skimping on it ain't no excuse either. Abby is pretty much your standard beautiful but neurotic leading lady, which Heigl pulls off relatively well. She is certainly better than Sandra Bullock was in The Proposal. Butler certainly has a charisma about him, and while many online media outlets are of the opinion he should stick to action movies, I think he can do this kind of thing but maybe pick his projects a little better.
Of the supporting cast, Eric Winter turns up as some eye candy. Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines turns up for maybe 5 minutes of screentime, and entourage's Kevin Connolly is in one scene, huge WTF on that one. But believe me this is 27 dresses with the occasional fuck you.
Rating:5/10
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