I saw a few trailers for this film, and I thought that the cast line up looked pretty impressive, so decided to give the film a try. It is billed as a comedy/chick flick, and stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair, who are all far too young, far too slim, and far too damn gorgeous for my liking! I decided to watch it whilst hubby was on the computer in the same room, and within 5 minutes of it starting, I got the comment, "What crap are you watching now?" . I said that it was a film that looked really good, and that he should shut up, and just let me enjoy the film. Well one of those things happened, and it was not the latter!! The title of the film could not be further from the truth, this film stinks!! I hate to give the game away so early, but it is true, and I only kept watching it as I begrudged the money I spent on renting it!
Cameron Diaz plays Christina Walters, a woman in her thirties, who has left many a good man quivering in her wake, after attracting them, letting them become attached
to her, and then dropping them like the proverbial hot potato. She lives with her two friends lawyer Courtney (Applegate) and the mopey Jane (Blair). The three of them love to party in the bars and discos of San Francisco with the aim to meet young, eligible men to use, abuse and then dump. They are all, and especially Christina, happy living like this, until a chance meeting in a bar with a man named Peter (Thomas Jane), forces Christina to think about whether she is letting the perfect man slip through her fingers. All she knows is that he is on a stag night, and the wedding venue, so she decides to head off and find out if he is the one for her.
We then see Christina and Courtney embark on a road trip across many states in search of Peter. This could have opened up so many avenues for humourous events, lots of soul searching, but instead we see then covered in crap when they use a men's toilet at a service station. Sounds ok so far? Maybe, it does, but I forgot to mention that once in a while, the producers thought it would be a good idea to put in a musical dance sequence. The first one being in a Chinese diner/restaurant, where they sing about the size of men's parts, and how they will never "fit in there!", and also whilst Christina is chatting to Peter, the camera keeps shifting back to Courtney who is having a conversation which consists of her and the man she is talking to saying "What you looking at?". You get my drift, it is pointless, dire drivel. I cannot believe that Roger Kumble, the director of one of my favourite films, Cruel Intentions is aware of this film, never mind having agreed to direct it. The film failed to chart when it was released in America, and I can only put this down to word of mouth, as the cast should have attracted a decent revenue in their own right.
I am sure the humour is meant to be tongue in cheek, but it just made me cringe (and it did not even seem to have the smallest twinge of embarrasment about being so bad), and in the end it really started to irritate me beyond belief. I know a lot of it is meant to be deliberately bad taste, but it just ends up being bad. The script has so many holes, it would probably have been a better idea to scrap it and start again. Cameron Diaz is probably the only small saving grace of the film, as she is extremely watchable, and I think her comic timing is underestimated. Blair seems to change dramatically in the film, from a very plain, conservative woman, to a woman who is up for almost anything, but no explanation was really given for this huge shift in personality.
You men out there, who think you can still stomach this film because the eye candy will be worth it......think again....your mind will be elsewhere, wishing you were watching something else! I wanted to enjoy this film, and I think there are not enough films where women run the show on screen, but if this is anything to go by, that is not such a negative. I have read some articles where the writers claim that this film is hilarious, and it is how real women think. I highly doubt that, but I wait to be proven wrong
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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With chick-flick stalwarts like Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and theSex and the Citycrew ... more
pushing 40,The Sweetest Thinglowers the demographic to the late-20s and stirs in some of that Farrelly Bros/American Pie-style gross-out stuff to liven up the usu...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Some funny moments, good chemistry between the female leads. Disadvantages: Gross-Out humour might not be to everybody's taste.
damncoldnightdotnet 04.05.2004 (04.05.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Sweetest Thing (DVD)
Advantages: Cameron Diaz flashing again, its a very short film (thank god), You get to see Christina Applegate (for fans of Married with Children) Disadvantages: Stupid! Crap! Not Funny! Its out on DVD