Simply Irresistible (1999)

Simply Irresistible is one of those films that probably suffers in the reviews mainly by virtue of not belonging to any obvious category. It's a film you'll either love or hate. You can't pick it apart; the components are too tightly woven.It's certainly not "a Sarah Michelle Gellar" movie, and will probably not appeal to anyone looking for 'just a bit more Buffy.' It's too whimsical to pass as a standard romantic comedy, and way too romantic (in every sense) for our cynical times. It's reminiscent of the 'romantic fantasy' films that Hollywood used to produce quite regularly in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, it's nearest kin are European films, such as Enchanted April, Chocolat or Amelie, which are happy to blend humor, fantasy and unabashed romanticism.Gellar's performance isn't entirely polished - she's obviously exploring a different, more innocent persona than in Buffy. But, for me, her slightly self-conscious performance works perfectly with the material. I've always been a huge fan of the sadly under-rated Sean Patrick Flanery, and here he hits exactly the right level of bewilderment. (Funny that both leads have triple-barreled names.) The supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Lawrence Gilliard Jr., who will be familiar to fans of The Wire, and Patricia Clarkson, who is at her most charming.This is one of my favorite films, period, but I freely admit that it's not flawless. It does feel just a tiny bit awkward in one or two places. (For instance, the paper airplanes are perhaps one contrivance too many.) But considering the difficulty of what it's attempting, Simply Irresistible succeeds quite brilliantly. Give it a chance, accept its weird style, and you'll be amply rewarded.And remember, dessert is the whole point of the meal.

I expected less of this movie,really,I did!!Actually,I wonted to see if Sara know how to act because Buffy is one thing and movies another.So,I started to watch movie with so little expectation that you would be surprised.And I liked the movie!It was sweet.And Sara always have good lucking mans for partners.It started like every other romantic comedy: girl and boy meet,they falling in love etc.But,here comes the magic part-she was bad cook and she becomes fantastic cook with help of magic crab!And it start to be something different movie then usually.I must say that Sara surprised me like a actress.She was convincing like the girl who cook bad without magic.She had a lot of magic and demons and vampires and staff in Buffy.But this is different kind of staff and she handled it raider well.So,I liked this film.

Cipher-J's shallow screed entitled "Wholly Incompatible!" strives for eloquence but manages only petulance. It is, I suppose, to be expected in this day and age, when the ability to read is no longer necessary to graduate from high school, that a viewer could watch this film and somehow miss the obvious: that, in the end, the boy could not resist the girl, despite his Darrenesque reservations. (That's an allusion to "Bewitched," Cipher-J.) Characterizing someone or something as irresistible implies struggle; it implies that someone tried to resist, and couldn't. Shazam! That's exactly what we see! Is that ironic, or what? Cipher-J, thy nick is well-chosen.I liked this movie. I liked the characters. I thought it was sweet. It made me feel good. Sarah Michelle Gellar is hot. No, it didn't heighten my political consciousness. It didn't make me want to write a 2,000-word essay on Sartre and his influence on modern cinema. It merely made me happy. Isn't that what it's supposed to do?

FYI -There is a wee spoiler in this text.Here is another food movie to make you cringe like you never cringed before. The producers in this caramelized eye sore serve you a Pâté de Poor Acting on a soggy bed of Flimsy Plot. The music score gets more syrupy by the minute and by the time the movie finally ends the notes are oozing down the screen. Worth enjoying were scenes of various actors getting mouthgasms and rolling their eyes with every bite of Sarah Michelle Gellar's dishes. Unfortunately, by the third time you have witnessed this act of convulsive eating it has all but lost its charm. So if you can't resist killing time then see Simply Irresistible, but if you have a choice then move on to greener spinach. Better yet, if you are in the mood for a good food film, then see "Chocolat" directed by Lasse Hallstöm. Bon Appetit!