Review of One for the Money (2012) by Luis R — 10 Mar 2012

Another Katherine Heigl movie that is less-than great ... but better than other things out there. I do not dislike Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy", 27 Dresses, Knocked Up) but I wouldn't call myself a "fan" either as she hasn't proven to be the most apt of actresses.

Here she plays a laid off Macy's lingerie department manager who is in need of some quick money and therefore takes up bounty hunting -- as one can only do in books and movies. The premise is flimsy; but not as bad as Heigl's wavering accent as Jersey Girl, Stephanie Plum.

With the film's narrated voice over, it is even more obvious that Heigl cannot retain an accent for the duration of the film -- she's Jersey, LA, Connecticut from one scene to the next and is rather distracting.

Plum's bounty here is an the ex-fling named Joe Morelli (Jason O'Mara - "Terra Nova", "Life on Mars") who is a cop wanted for the death of a few seedy men and a missing prostitute named Carmen (did anybody else notice the use of Carmen's operatic score -- there is a clue here!).

Teaching her some of the bounty hunter ropes/rules is Ranger (Daniel Sunjata - "Rescue Me", The Devil Wears Prada) and offering her word(s) from the street is cheerful and hungry, happy hooker Lula (Sherri Shepherd - Precious, "The View").

There is nothing remarkable here and it feels rather standard -- why they've cast my distant cousin, film legend Debbie Reynolds (Mother, Singin' In the Rain, The Unsinkable Molly Brown), in such a kooky and thankless role is a mystery as she is forgotten for most of the film.

Oh those wacky Old People! One for the Money is adapted from a well-liked novel from author Janet Evanovich -- and while I haven't read it I couldn't imagine THIS being something that would make any of them overly proud.