Review of The Bachelor (1999) by Alexander V — 02 Mar 2008
A tour de force in how not to make a romantic comedy, Gary Sinyor's ineptly executed picture is so ill-thought out it's a wonder it ever got made. Determined to activate a clause in his grandfather's will that will land him $100 million, Chris O'Donnell (who?) must get married within a day to get his hands on the warchest.
His proposal to girlfriend Renee Zellweger is disastrous, meaning he must find a bride from elsewhere, cue shenanigans as he desperately tries to find a wife within 24 hours. On paper the conceit doesn't sound too bad but in practice the film has two major flaws, the first being that it's not romantic and the second being that it's not comic.
The two leads don't have personalities and barely seem to notice each other anyway, while the script is completely lifeless. The movie's fundamental mistake however, is that it is never proved that O'Donnell is not marrying Zellweger for the money.
O'Donnell's transformation from greedy singleton to honourable husband should be the focus of the film, but at no point does he agree to marry her the next day when the money would be out of reach, and his total commitment would be in evidence.
The foundations the movie is built on are kicked from beneath it, and what little credibility there is left comes crashing down soon after.
This review of The Bachelor (1999) was written by Alexander V on 02 Mar 2008.
The Bachelor has generally received mixed reviews.
Was this review helpful?
