Letters To Juliet

Well I feel like a real movie critic, reviewing a pre screening of a movie and getting it up on the site before it’s released… Yeah, it’s only twelve hours before the morning showing of it, but little victories.

The summers first chick flick (because I’m not counting Bounty Hunter or The Back Up Plan, which are not worth the film they were shot on) proves to live up to the genre with the bantering of young lovers who hate each other at first while having to work together for some un-noteworthy reason before finally realizing that they are actually into each other. Does it really matter the journey that they have to survive? Not really, it just provides the means to the end.

Amanda Seyfried portrays Sophie, a fact finder for the New Yorker who on her pre-honeymoon finds a fifty-year-old letter written to Juliet (of Romeo & Juliet if you didn’t know) asking for love advice and decides to reply, with subconscious hopes, to unearth a true-life love story. And if you men reading aren’t tuning out yet, the grandson of the letters author confronts her to “reprimand” her for her actions which is how she is introduced to one half of the star crossed lovers with whom she plans to reunite with her long lost love. Since Sophie’s fiancé is brutally (and hilariously) obsessed with touring vineyards and restaurants to network clients for his own restaurant, she has plenty of time to scour Italy with two strangers as a tag-along.

Okay, maybe I am being too harsh on this but I really wish Chad had been with us to see this just to see his reaction. However, it was just Gina and I. I guess the real complaint is the same that is typical of this type of film; it is extremely predictable!

Gina: And they didn’t even try to hide it. You see everything in the previews.

Kevin: Yeah, I even noticed that they show Seyfried and Chris Egan happy and all lovey dovey in the trailer, which doesn’t develop until later. Ooops! I spoiled it!

Chad (voiced by Kevin): The whole thing was excruciatingly painful to watch and I kept trying to picture the Amanda Seyfried from Megan’s Body… I mean Jennifer’s Body.

The thought is that they know the movie is going to be predictable so why not just emphasize the love story that is NOT the main plotline love story, though, the one that develops with the top billed Seyfried. They didn’t need to do this, and it is rather detrimental to how people will respond to it. Every chick flick thinks it is no big deal to have the standard, monotonous, blah blah blah story, and while some people will enjoy it for what that is, some of us would like something a little more thought provoking.

Kevin: I will admit I can enjoy a girl movie if it’s made well.

Gina: You would.

Kevin: See Definitely Maybe.

As for the cast, the acting was mediocre. The best scenes were with Sophie’s fiancé, played by Gael Garcia Bernal, who was so hilariously saying everything that men should never say to their fiancé and not thinking anything of it; men take note of what not to do! Though, the acting and casting highlights have to go to “The Most Interesting Man In The World”. Yes, the Dos Equis man himself makes his big screen debut as Lorenzo (not really, but definitely a twin). It definitely will bring you out of the fog that is an otherwise lackluster movie to watch. If you think you will like it you probably will, and if you think you won’t you are probably not even giving this review a chance to change your mind.

Gina: 6 of 10 stars

Kevin: 5 of 10 stars

Combining for the fantastic score of 5.5 of 10!