Down with Love (2003)

There's something so so clever and beguiling about this movie even though at the end of the day it never seems to go anywhere, or really do anything, or say something - about love for instance. Down With Love certainly warrants more than a couple of points for the dazzling production design and art direction. Ultimately I felt I was not watching a film in the usual sense of investing something in it, but more that I was watching an earnest and fascinating product of the film industry, a post-modern wheeze with plenty of ubtuse contemporary cultural references. It had an odd hold for my cinephile self, perhaps like for a train spotter gazing into a whezeing veteran engine, but on a human level there wasn't anything below the artifice and crucially the casting seemed implausible for the romantic couple. I think another reviewer nailed it in pointing out that there was so much effort in parodying the idiocies and anachronisms of the 1960s it rather fell into the trap of appearing just dumb & stupid to the core. But this is an interesting problem in itself, and for me it's worthy of some redeeming points for sheer ambition and spirited effort.

Well, 'Down With Love' turned out to be a unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Love many of the late 50s and 60s sex romantic comedies, 'Pillow Talk' being a primary example, and can't get enough of those with Doris Day and Rock Hudson which this film clearly was paying homage to. There was the worry though as to whether 'Down With Love' would be just another heavily predictable film with forced comedy moments, no romantic chemistry and no charm with talented casts wasted.Luckily, 'Down With Love' on the most part was not one of those films. It is a satire and celebration of the sex romantic comedies from the late 50s and in particular the 60s, being set in 1962, and mostly does a really good job, capturing the fun, kitsch, charm, froth and affectionate nostalgia of the period and the films with incredibly impressive results. Is it as good as the films it's satirising and celebrating? No. Are the two leads and their chemistry on the same level as Day and Hudson or even Day and James Garner? Not in a million years, but this is a tall order with not many actors and actresses today having the same amount of appeal and that special one of a kind chemistry that those stars had.'Down With Love' is not perfect. It is easy to dismiss the story as being slight and predictable, and it is. One does have to bear in mind though that the story was not exactly the strong suit in the sex romantic comedies of the late 50s and 60s, it was the production values, the stars, the supporting cast, the writing (on the most part) and the chemistry between the stars that elevated those films to a greater level.Mostly the script is fine, but it is not without its clunkers. Especially that homosexual accusation, that was cringe-worthy, completely out of place and if it was made in either of the decades that are being satirised and celebrated it would have been anachronistic and would have been anachronistic in its 1962 setting. A few of the more twisty moments were too obvious and didn't serve much point and it occasionally affected the pacing. It was nice to see Tony Randall again, but he really deserved much better than a pointless cameo that gave him nothing to do, he might as well have not been in the film at all.However, 'Down With Love' looks great and replicates the look of the late 50s and 60s perfectly, the glorious Technicolor, the super stylish photography, the colourful sets, the kitschy décor, sumptuous costuming, the CinemaScope logo. The split screen was clever in one scene. There are artificial painted backdrops and cheap back projection, but this was perfect and appropriate considering what the film is doing. The soundtrack is infectious and affectionate and the direction is controlled and super slick.Apart from the odd clunker, the script is clever and witty while also being endearingly frothy. The characters lack depth but are not too shallow or annoying thanks to the charm of the cast. The story isn't perfect, but is mainly fun, charming and captures the spirit of the period and films it's satirising and celebrating perfectly and with clear affection.Renee Zellwegger gives a sprightly and likable lead performance and is well matched by a charming, understated and carefree Ewan McGregor in the other lead role. Their chemistry is nicely done, to me it was there but subtle. It may not have been Day and Hudson but that is incredibly daunting for anybody since to replicate. David Hyde Pierce steals the film, looking like he is having the most fun, he certainly has the most energy. Sarah Poulson is amusingly wise-cracking and charming, if occasionally a little too tongue-in-cheek.Overall, an unexpected pleasant surprise if not perfect. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is a romantic comedy set in the early 1960s in New York City. It is done is the style of the romcoms that Doris Day starred in during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a pale imitation of them. Although the stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor have acted very well in other films, they're awful in this. Zellweger and McGregor can't decide whether they're paying homage to Doris Day romcoms or making fun of them. I don't know who the intended audience demographic for this film was. The large majority of film fans in the 21st century aren't into this style of comedy; those who are wouldn't enjoy this mediocre copy of them. It's too tame and bland to be a funny parody and too badly made to be a good imitation of them.

Down with Love was a nice idea for a movie. I was expecting something fresh and original from this movie. The performances are consistent, and the fast-paced feel of the movie is nice, but the movie tries too hard. When I say the movie tries too hard, I mean the OTHER twist at the end. When Renee's character, Barbara, turns out to also be someone other than who we think she is. I was fine with Ewan's character using another identity, it made sense, but when Renee's character reveals she's someone else, it just ruined the movie for me.The movie is entertaining, but the twist is just annoying. It was unexpected, I can say that much, but it wasn't needed. The movie could've been much better without that twist.