Review of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) by Jennifer S — 16 Aug 2010

This reviewer understands that this is a clever albeit thinly veiled take on a Charles Dickens tale more worn through than the shoes on Tiny Tim?s feet. What he does not get, however, is the fact that some movie studio knowingly greenlit said project for the dog day summer months and not the ho-ho-holidays! This Christmas Carol rom-com was so destined to fall during, well, Christmas that the setting even looks like a knick-knack snowglobe of Newport, Rhode Island?minus garland and tinsel, of course. The cards having fallen where they may, however, the movie offers up a sometimes pleasing and occasionally funny twist on the proven H?Wood formula: Matthew McConaughey + humping x 90 fun-filled minutes = average laughs.

In McConaughey?s latest PG-13-rated romantic comedy, perpetual bachelor Conor Mead is haunted by the women of his past relationships.

God Bless Michael Douglas. He shoulders the weight of playing Bob Evans-cum-Jacob Marley like the true seasoned veteran he is?even though he now looks alarmingly like his dad when he filmed Tough Guys. Douglas?s misogynist Uncle Wayne character provides some of the movie?s funniest moments?nearly making up for the loooooong uneven flashbacks and the fact that McConaughey is the only one in his family who speaks with a drawl. This reviewer?s biggest complaint comes from Uncle Wayne asking nephew Conor to recant his philandering ways. In an age when comedies are being blunt-force-trauma honest (Superbad, Observe and Report), conforming seems to be an almost archaic notion. Hell, the only problem with A Christmas Carol was that Scrooge eventually gave in!

Bottom line: Scrooged.