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| Life as We Know It Still |
Greg Berlanti is known more recently as Producer of series like Brothers & Sisters and also forthcoming blockbuster Green Hornet. Life as We Know It is only his second attempt at directing a Feature and it actually exceeded my expectations, as its trailers suggest the standard predictability that comes with Romantic Comedies.
Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is a successful entrepreneur, who owns a successful local Café. A bit of a Control Freak, she is introduced to a strapping yet perhaps too carefree Messer (Josh Duhamel) by her BFF Alison (Christina Hendricks) and husband Peter Novak (Hayes MacArthur). Of course, things never go according to plan and both Holly and Messer realize their lack of chemistry, yet because they remain close friends to Alison and Peter, they are continuously in each other's scope.
One day unexpectedly, the couple passes away and they grant Guardianship of their daughter Sophie to Holly and Messer, forcing them to re-evaluate their priorities in life as they struggle to embrace their new roles as her parents. Messer though, is a bit of a Playboy, wrapped-up in his aspirations to be a Director of televised sports events. With their drastically different aspirations and clashing personalities, will Baby Sophie be able to be the binding force which brings them together, especially with Social Worker Janine Groff (Sarah Burns) remaining at close range, determining their competency and thus fate as her parents?
One day unexpectedly, the couple passes away and they grant Guardianship of their daughter Sophie to Holly and Messer, forcing them to re-evaluate their priorities in life as they struggle to embrace their new roles as her parents. Messer though, is a bit of a Playboy, wrapped-up in his aspirations to be a Director of televised sports events. With their drastically different aspirations and clashing personalities, will Baby Sophie be able to be the binding force which brings them together, especially with Social Worker Janine Groff (Sarah Burns) remaining at close range, determining their competency and thus fate as her parents?
Heigl is cast perfectly as the domineering yet vulnerable type and female audiences should have no problem falling in love with the Grey's Anatomy star allover again. Duhamel who has a world of potential yet rarely gets to prove it, excels here and complements Heigl's tightly-wound performance. Character actresses Melissa McCarthy as quirky neighbour DeeDee and Sarah Burns who arrives later in the story, are scene stealers with their hilariously dead-pan deliveries. And how about the simply radiant Baby Sophie played by twins Alexis and Brynn Clagett? Absolutely adorable.
In the end Life as We Know It suffers from the same clichés we have seen far too often in films of this genre, but the ride along the way is interesting enough. The Warner Bros. release hits theatres Friday, October 8, 2010. Grade: B-
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