Review of She's the Man (2006) by Trevor R — 09 May 2014

The script of "She's The Man" is effective in setting up the central premise, but it's constantly undercut by drawing attention to its inherent ridiculousness. It feels like the movie is intentionally challenging the audience's ability to suspend belief. So much of the humor comes from Viola-as-Sebastian slipping up and saying something only a girl would say, then quickly having to cover her tracks-- weirdly enough, this is the type of humor "Twelfth Night" is virtually devoid of, and "She's the Man" draws from this well so often it feels like overcompensation.

Amanda Bynes gives a crazy-committed performance that alternates between genuinely hilarious and cartoonishly out-of-step with her surroundings. Nobody in the film ever quite matches the wild tone she establishes (although David Cross--hysterical, but underused-- is the closest). Any version of "Twelfth Night" that can't make Malvolio or Olivia funny is a tragedy in my eyes (and not the good kind), although I did enjoy the supporting turns from Vinnie Jones and Julie Hagerty.

Surprisingly, the best part of the film is how the central romance with Duke (A clearly inexperienced but perfectly affable Channing Tatum) subverts expectations and actually holds Viola (and the script) accountable for the casual sexism exhibited by the characters. While I don't really buy into the supposed depth of Duke and Viola's connection ("I love you." Uh-huh.), the way he challenges "Sebastian" on the way he treats women is quite touching and clever and brings some nice subtext to an otherwise standard teen rom-com.