Oh look, England
have missed again
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Chick flick
which doesn't quite match Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Nigel Bell
A film of three
thirds which gets bogged down in the middle but overall is another
plus for the British comedy industry.
The Plot
Kate (MacDowell), Molly (Chancellor) and Janine (Staunton) are
fortysomething women who meet every week to discuss who has the
saddest life.
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| Men, who
needs 'em? |
Each has a good
job - teacher, doctor and police officer respectively - and life
revolves around jokes about the local vicar (Patterson) who fancies
MacDowell, and Chancellor's many relationships.
But the cosy
trios lives are shaken when MacDowell falls for the church organist
- hence lines like "My organs at your service whenever you
like."
She is blissfully
happy with her toy-boy but her two friends think she's making a
big mistake and embark on a campaign to break up the couple with
tragic consequences.
The verdict
It's several months since Crush was first due to be released.
Competition from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings may have delayed
its launch.
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| Shouldn't
you be practising for Sunday? |
Given it's looking
to a female audience, coming out in the middle of the World Cup
is probably a good move.
And it certainly
deserves to be seen.
The first half
especially has some great comic moments and MacDowell, Chancellor
and Staunton bounce off each other really well.
The problem
comes when Crush enters its "heavy" phase.
Suddenly the
momentum it's built up is lost; it becomes too maudlin.
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| Oops, looks
like we missed the sermon again |
You question
whether some characters would act the way they do and start crying,
if not at the story development, then at the hope that the jokes
from earlier will return.
Thankfully,
they do in the last few moments so you at least leave the cinema
gently lifted.
Flawed, but
a film which will find a lot of fans in that fortysomething age
bracket.
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