Review of Nurse Betty (2000) by Caleb M — 13 May 2009

LaBute tries to balance chick-flick empowerment issues alongside Pulp Fiction-inspired violence and comes up with nothing much but an inspired cast. Freeman is good, although he's playing his usual black-man showing the white (wo)man how to deal role, Chris Rock is pretty funny (but the big character reveal with him and Freeman seems silly), Zellweger isn't bad, Kinnear is quite good, and if Crispen Glover had some more to do I'm sure I would have enjoyed it.

LaBute seems to be trying to turn typical rom-com cliches and relationships on their head by meshing two drastically different genres and tones together, but the only scene where this really works is near the very end (SPOILER!): after Freeman's hitman gives Betty his speech about counting on and believeing in herself, he takes his gun and goes into the closet.

Betty stands their, riding a wave of empowering thoughts while the soundtrack explores familiar up-lifting territory, then we hear the gunshot from Freeman shooting his head off. THAT is both funny, sick and effective.

The rest of the film could have used more dark, sly genre bending moments like that, instead of the uncomfortable, cliche or overly silly scenes it does contain.