Review of 27 Dresses (2008) by Chads. — 20 Jan 2008

"27 Dresses", for one tantalizing moment, gets nasty, gets mean; it tampers with the romantic/comedy formula, and gets real. At a bridal shower, the sibling rivalry between both sisters reaches its apex when Jane(Katherine Heigl) humiliates Tess(Malin Akerman) with a vengeance that's cathartic for moviegoers who've sat through too many predictable romantic/comedies such as "27 Dresses".

If this movie about a perpetual bridesmaid had the conviction to aggravate Jane's festering wound rather than fix it up with a salve, "27 Dresses" would've been an unqualified artistic success, a triumph of art over commerce.

But alas, Tess behaves contritely towards her big sis after their public implosion that's antithetical to her self-absorbed persona. "27 Dresses" bends, but doesn't break genre expectations.

It's disappointing. It's dishonest. And the audience won't buy it. "27 Dresses" is a prime example of how focus groups can destroy the artistic integrity of a film. They say that a zebra doesn't change its stripes, except.

..in movies. Isn't liking the protagonist enough.