In my defense

In my defense is not the title of a movie that I am going to review. I get the feeling that the rules here aren't very clear. In order for a movie to be reviewed, I must have seen the entire movie. I also like to avoid movies that are already highly critically acclaimed classics like The Godfather or Gone with the wind because I don't think there's much I could say about those that hasn't already been said. I like to stick to either newer movies, or movies that most people haven't heard of in order to educate you about the many great films out there. So here we go:

She's the one

Premise: Mickey picks up Hope in his cab and takes her to the airport. She convinces him to drive her to New Orleans, and, when they get back, they are married. Mickey's brother, Francis, is married to Renee but hasn't had sex with her in months because he is having an affair with Heather, who just happens to be Mickey's ex-fiancee. Mickey, Francis, and their father go on weekly fishing trips.

While the plot has ingenuity behind it, it is rather uninspired. The direction lacks creativity, and I seriously wonder about the acting. Let's take Edward Burns, who plays Mickey, for example. I used to think Edward Burns was a good actor. I thought his only flaw was that he never has any chemistry with any woman. Seriously, no on-screen chemistry. Now, I realize that he plays the same character every time. I understand not wanting to stray too far from where you came from, but this is too much. Think about any movie you have seen him in. Life, or something like it: Irish-catholic from Brooklyn. Saving Private Ryan: Irish-catholic from Brooklyn. His promising directorial debut, Sidewalks of New York: Irish-catholic from Brooklyn. And the movie in question, She's the one: IRISH-CATHOLIC FROM BROOKLYN!!!!!

I'm sure you are shocked. Don't get me wrong; I like Edward Burns. I am just starting to wonder about him. I also like Cameron Diaz as Heather before she lost crazy amounts of weight and started impersonating a walking stick bug. I like John Mahoney as the patriarch one seriously stupid Irish-Catholic family. But they aren't enough to save this movie from its own insipid plot. They try, they really do. There's just not enough there to work with.

Conclusion: Unless you happen to love Irish-Catholics from Brooklyn, then this movie probably isn't worth the rental fee. If you should, however, happen to come across it on cable on some lazy afternoon or quiet evening in, then give it a try. You can always post a comment on how much you hated it later.