Review of Alex & Emma (2003) by Jeremy K — 17 Aug 2004

Alex and Emma (2003) Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson, Sophie Marceau, David Paymer, Alexander Wauthier, Leili Kramer, Rob Reiner, Rip Taylor, Cloris Leachman, D: Rob Reiner. Hypochondriac author (Wilson) gets himself in a jam when he has to come up with a $100 grand for Cuban Mafia loan sharks in thirty days by writing a book.

When he hires an opinionated stenographer (Hudson) to help him sculpt a love triangle on paper, it then percolates into a real-life romance budding between the two. Both the outside story set in contemporary Boston and the paralleling story on a New England island set in the 1920s are rich in tedium.

This WHEN HARRY MET SALLY-ish romantic comedy is lightweight, lackluster, and clunky, and just an excuse to show two endearing leads at the height of their own charm, who deserve a better script. Running Time: 96 minutes and rated PG-13 for language and sexual content.

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