DVD Reviews

The Ugly Truth

• Rating:
• Director: Robert Luketic
• Starring: Gerard Butler
• Details: US/96mins 16

There does seem to be a problem with a lot of mainstream romantic comedies these days, in that they are almost perennially slight, and lacking in the kind of obtuse gags that will pull in the male masses. The Ugly Truth is a film that is pretty much about a crass man, and a chick that falls for him, as Gerard Butler attempts to make up for that atrocious Irish accent by doing a more convincing American one, and mostly succeeds - even if the bar wasn't exactly set at a lofty altitude. Films of this ilk do rely on the charm of their central characters, and this is no different.
Katherine Heigl stars as a producer of a failing morning TV show, whose arse is on the line when ratings drop to an all time low. But work isn't the only area where she's having problems, as her love life constantly takes a back seat to her job. When her boss drafts in an abrasive, sexist cable talk show host to boost ratings, soon her work life gets a lot easier. She's also using him to help seduce her dreamy, Surgeon/Men's Health cover model neighbour - as he knows guys y'see. But, as often is the case in these types of romantic comedies, the two soon find themselves strongly attracted to each other.
There's no doubting that The Ugly Truth is an all together shabbily made film. The script tries desperately to be edgy as well as adhering to the set-in-stone rules of the genre, but often just comes off as crass. There's nothing wrong with crass, frankly, I welcome it; but it does feel unnecessarily abrasive given the tone here. As with 27 Dresses, Heigl does rise to the top, making a stereotypical character, in a clichéd comedy likeable - no mean feat. Butler too earns points for his brash delivery, and convincing performance as the misogynistic bastard... With a heart of gold.
Lacking as a cohesive package, but sporadically amusing thanks to the two leads, there's nothing here that you haven't seen in a hundred other romantic comedies already. Although not as inherently bland as the likes of Maid of Honour, this still comes up short.

Review by Mike Sheridan