Film Reviews

A Guy Thing

• Rating:
• Director: Chris Koch.
• Starring: Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, James Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, Lochlyn Munro, Diana Scarwid, Julie Hagerty.
• Details: US / 97 mins / (15PG).

Shamelessly derivative, A Guy Thing sacrifices its talented and likeable cast in its tireless quest to recycle the most lame and predictable humour. The plot (and I'm being kind even calling it that) revolves around the timid Paul (Jason Lee) a young man about to get married. The morning after his stag do, he awakens to find a young blonde go-go dancer called Becky (Stiles) sharing his bed. Although he manages to get her out of the apartment before his beloved Karen (the talented Selma Blair) calls over, it isn't long before their paths cross again as - oh yes! - Becky is actually Paul's fiancee's cousin. Cue lots of tired gags as Paul tries to avoid Becky while pretending to Karen that everything is a-okay with their relationship. But is it? Go on, take a wild guess. The overwhelming problem with A Guy Thing is that for a film purporting to be a comedy, there's little concrete evidence of any humour. Directionless, the movie doesn't know whether to go for the gross out jugular or maintain its air of semi-respectability with its tired rehashes of gags that have been better executed elsewhere. Throw in a subplot about a psychotic cop out to kill Paul and a stoner chemist turned chef and you've got a very confused film indeed. Come back, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, all is forgiven.

Review by Garreth Murphy