Review of Something Borrowed (2011) by Nina B — 24 Aug 2011

Something Borrowed uses a formula that set itself up for predictability. The scenes are arranged around Ginnifer Goodwin's charcter Rachel and look like this: good time with Dex, guilt with Dex, talks with Ethan, talks with Darcy, dance in a bar, and the occasional flashback.

These different type of scene set ups are shuffled together and really have no variety. They're all just as blan as the other and do little to progress the story. Are their any redeeming qualities? Very few.

Not enough to pass this along as a watchable flick, but their are few that work. John Krassinski's sarcasm is adorbale and charming, but that's all we get from Ethan. Not much character development there.

And he does get annoying always putting down everything that's going on and making Dex out like he's just jerking Rachel along for a ride. Although, we find out why, and that twist of why becomes the last we see of Ethan in the movie.

That twist why ruins all credibility that Krasinski's character might have had. The only other upside to Something's Borrowed is Kate Hudson's breakout when she finally figures out what is going on between her two best friends.

During this one brief moment when Kate Hudson stand in the doorway finally circum to suspistion, she fnally settles down from all the "woo-hoo" and pretentiousness to for once feel emotionally taken down instend of acting and believing that everything works out for her.

Finally she levels down to realism and the look in her face when she gets a clue almost garnered her respect. This would only last a short while until she gets back into her groove of self-glorifying and thinking everything still works out for her and she's all perfect.

We know he was friends with Rachel and Darcy growing up, but how he got back into their lives is left out. At least Darcy is reuniting with Rachel because she invited her to celebrate the end of finals at law school.

I'm assuming law school went on longer then the 9 months we heard of, but again, it's not adressed. When Darcy came into the picture took Dex from Rachel and law school just never seemed to come up again.

Even when Rachel is explaining the events in the past which are all jumbled up, the last thing we see of them was six years ago at a bar and Dex walks out to stop Rachel from leaving. The worst thing about Something Borrowed is how connected the audience should be.

How are we supposed to understand these two "innocent" characters' tremendours guilt in their affair when the cheated on person is so horrible and undesirable and the guilt is always on again and off again? How are we supposed to root for anyone or feel connected to anyone when everyone is so flimsy and obnoxious?