Review of Alex & Emma (2003) by Brian P — 29 Dec 2003

Alex and Emma is not a film to be conceptualized by a rather savvy, hook-ie, Hollywood director. An ego is this type of film's worst nemesis.

As a writer, I expected to at least latch onto the portrayal of the creative process in this story. I am also quite an admirer of both Luke Wilson and Kate hudson. Neither have really had a bad performance in a film I've seen thus far.

By minute 6 (I know because I looked at my DVD counter) I was waiting for the next 90 to pass. It was clear this would be Rob Reiner of the worst ilk: a Nora Ephron-esque slide into hokey, predictable, romantic comedy fare without the charms of Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, or Billy Crystal.

I have to believe Reiner is handing us this piece as the long lost best-seller he never quite accomplished. That is the only explanation for the useless exposition, and grating jumps into the most uninteresting make-believe on film of the last 5 years.

Nothing is funny. Nothing is touching. He manages to take rather gifted comedians Wilson and Hudson, and grind them to a sallow halt. Not even Hudson's best quirks work in this drivel.

Reiner contradicts his own biggest selling point in Wilson's plot. I won't reveal it in case you want to waste an hour and a half on this experiment in agony.