Down With Love (2003)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake
Directed by Peyton Reed
Cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth
Starring Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, David Hyde Pierce, Sarah Paulson, Rachel Dratch

Features:

• Running audio commentary by director Reed
  
• "Guess My Game" bit featuring Zellweger as Barbara Novak
  
• Hair and wardrobe tests
  
• Featurettes: "On Location," "Creating the World," "The Costumes," "The Swingin' Sounds," "Down with Love Up with Tony Randall," "Split Decisions"
  
• Blooper reel
  
• HBO special
  
• Music video
  
• "Testimonial"
  
• Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reed
  

Released by: 20th Century Fox
Region: 1
Rating: PG-13
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Get it.

Down With Love is an interesting, stylized twist on the standard romantic comedy: more of a spoof of 60s sexist romantic comedies than anything else, it is funny, clever, and just plain likable.

Barbara Novak (Zellweger) has just arrived in New York for the publication of her new book, Down with Love, which explains to women how to divorce themselves from the complications of love, and thereby succeed in the workplace and enable themselves to have sex as carelessly and a la carte as men. Novak's publicist sets her up for an interview with playboy reporter and man-about-town Catcher Block (McGregor); hilarity ensues, all of course guaranteed to bring you to the surprise twist happy ending.

The entire film is cleverly choreographed and fun. Every time the ladies enter a room, they strike poses just as would be found in the bad surf movies and such of the 60s. Hamming it up like Audrey Hepburn, Zellweger and Paulson have a great time being femme fatales in the "latest" fashions.

The acting is amazing. McGregor is absolutely charming, even as he plays the initially rather offensive and unlikable Block. Zellweger is similarly engaging, swinging from vulnerable to conniving in a moment. Both leads do a fabulous job of pulling off comedy, as difficult and demanding as the medium is. The real star, however, is Hyde Pierce, who is simply letter perfect as the neurotic magazine publisher and Block's boss; his comedy timing is, as always, flawless. The man is a comic genius. Just once, however, I would love to see him pull off a role a bit more unlike Niles Crane. He can do it, we all know he can.

The features are beefy and entertaining: we get a lengthy blooper reel that will make you laugh as much as the movie, several deleted scenes (with commentary by the director), and all kinds of production vignettes that serve as a behind-the-scenes look at how a movie like this comes together, from costuming to a bit on Tony Randall. There is also an HBO special that is a combination trailer and making-of. We also get the "testimonial" from the film itself, where Novak's book changed the life of a character, as well as the faux "Guess My Game" appearance of Novak. Fans of film production will love to see the hair and makeup tests, and the full-length commentary with the director will tell you more than you thought you needed to know about making films, working with stars, and basically the background of the film in general. Fascinating yet diverting.

Basically, if you've always wanted to see a romantic comedy that wasn't lame or sexist, then this is your best bet. Clever, sophisticated, and just plain funny, Down with Love is perfect for a Gen X audience sick of saccharine tales that are supposed to be realistic and aren't. This one doesn't even try to be realistic and is instead a spoof of sorts yet manages to be one of the best portrayals of love and friendship seen on the screen in years.