Review of Pretty Persuasion (2005) by Js — 22 Aug 2005

It's not that it was offensive, it was that it wasn't funny. Michael Hitchcock gave the most laughs and he was only in about 3 scenes. Perhaps it is that he is actually good at comedy? It probably isn't fair to dismiss the rest of the cast as talentless, so maybe it was the direction and screenplay.

Speaking of the screenplay, it seemed as if about half the movie was written at a computer and the other half was written at a dart board. Halfway or 2/3rs through it just falls apart into random scenes that make desperate attempts at being meaningful and heartfelt.

Only they come off as random and desperate. I think the film's major problem is that it ultimately wasn't absurd or subtle. Cartmen of South Park is funny because he is so extremely offensive.

Other comedies are funny because they are subtle and thought provoking. This film sits in between the two; crass as it may be, the offensive material doesn't go far enough. The screenplay writer will say he was trying to make real people, not absurdities.

That's fine, but none of these people are at all believable and even if they were, they wouldn't be funny.