LAWS OF ATTRACTION
3 stars/3 1/2 stars for chickflickers [(2004)US-Ireland/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr. 29 min.)
Directed by Peter Howitt
Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna & Robert Harling
As attorney 'Daniel Rafferty', actor Pierce Brosnan holds the court
(& the swooning female audience) in the palm of his hand!!!
Lead Characters/Cast
Daniel Rafferty - Pierce Brosnan
Audrey Woods - Julianne Moore
Brosnan & Moore have the chemistry, but will this blatantly obvious script undo them?
(only the 'luck of the Irish' can save this film from the critics now)
Supporting Characters/Cast
Serena - Parker Posey
Thorne - Michael Sheen
Sara Miller - Frances Fisher
Judge Abramovitz - Nora Dunn
Leslie - Heather Ann Nurnberg
Spinster (Moore) vs. the Judge's pet (Brosnan)
Review:
A very uneven but still funny romantic comedy with as many hits as misses in the joke department, though actor Pierce Brosnan seems to work magic with the weak material throughout.
Leaving behind the smarmy anal retentivity of 'James Bond', Brosnan is in top form as divorce lawyer 'Daniel Rafferty', a charming, likable slob who, for some odd reason, hasn't met his match...until now. Brosnan is just as funny in the courtroom as he is in the bedroom, so if you are fan of this Welshman then this should film should quickly be added to your 'must-see' list, especially if you can recall Brosnan's comedic heyday on TV's 'Remington Steele'.
Not to be outdone, the brilliant dramatic actress Julianne Moore ("The Hours") only rarely gets to show her comedic side (as in "The Ideal Husband"), but is seriously shortchanged here as she is relegated to being a 'straightman'of sorts. Playing fellow divorce lawyer 'Audrey Woods', a woman that's too busy to fall in love and too much in denial to admit she's lonely, it's only natural that 'Daniel' can so very easily crack Audrey's shell with his good looks and easygoing charm.
Again, why is he still single (an unresolved point of the script), as he seems to be the answer to any woman's dreams. Of course the predictable hemming and hawing between the socially 'stiff' Audrey and the overconfident Daniel will be all too familiar to fans of this genre, but luckily the film does throw in a short trip to Ireland!
Dueling divorce lawyers in the courtroom, and fighting for the mike?
As good as Brosnan is in as the leading man, the best acting in a supporting role goes to Frances Fisher (as Audrey's 'youthful' mother) who was seriously minimized in "House of Sand and Fog" but proves a perfect foil to the romantic proceedings as she gleefully spoofs botox while breaking all the old age stereotypes (why Brosnan doesn't switch into 'Something's Gotta Give'-mode and romance the mother I'll never know, cause she's a true 'catch').
No matter what any film critic says, chickflickers will be lining up well before the tickets go on sale at the boxoffice, but at least their dutiful hubbies and boyfriends will have some good performances to cling to amidst the cliches and predictable plotlines. And after the sitcom-style hits like "Along Came Sally" and "50 First Dates" seeing some decent comedy acting in a Hollywood movie is really saying something!
The gracefully aging France Fisher (as Audrey's mother) almost steals the show
(and probably could have won 'Daniel' too if the script had allowed it?)
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