Review of Hitch (2005) by Matt F — 25 Aug 2012

A hit-and-miss bit of date movie fare, "Hitch" walks the tightrope between being an inspired comedy and a plodding, overwrought bore. The narrative centers around Alex Hitchens (Will Smith), a well-respected love guru who, for a price, has a three-date guarantee for a pupil of his to win over the girl of his dreams.

Enter Albert (Kevin James), a man determined to attract the affections of a wealthy fashion heiress (Amber Valetta). Guess who he calls? There's also another subplot involving Hitch pursuing a gossip columnist (Eva Mendes) who seems to be immune to his charm, at least initially.

Like all other rom-coms, we know how this all ends, but the road traveled journey to get us there is still somewhat enjoyable. My only major complaint would be that a rather muddled script, with a needlessly long and over-talkative third act, prevents this film from inching into "When Harry Met Sally" and "Annie Hall" territory.

It's a premise that isn't often tackled, so for the writing to be so watered down was somewhat disappointing. Despite this, "Hitch" still provides some breezy fun and benefits from strong performances all around, including a comedy outing that Kevin James has sadly never been able to either equal or surpass on the big screen.

A mild thumbs-up for me.