Ugly Truth

I took a bullet for the chick team on this one – going to see The Ugly Truth despite the onslaught of bad reviews.

In all fairness, The Ugly Truth isn’t horrible. But it is incredibly weak. Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up, etc.) plays Abby Richter, a romantically-challenged local TV news producer who is forced to produce a daily segment featuring Mike Chadway, a sleazy yet charming, straight-talking relationship guru played by Gerard Butler (the guy who single-handedly made 300 a chick flick/guy movie, thanks to his turn as a gladiator with hard-rock abs). Butler reminds me of a scruffy Russell Crowe. Not necessarily relevant, but hey, I’m a fan of Crowe when he isn’t throwing telephones at peoples’ heads.

Hmmm, did I just go way off topic? Maybe that’s because there’s very little to ‘crow’ about (pun intended) where this movie is concerned. It has a few laugh-out-loud and “aint that the truth” moments, but overall the movie is extremely predictable and gets off to a painfully slow start. Heigl and Butler give fine individual performances, but they lack any real on-screen chemistry – and ultimately, that’s why this romantic comedy can’t possibly overcome its mediocre script and paper-thin plot.

If you’re out of alternate movie options, and desperate to see a romantic comedy, then, by all means, go see The Ugly Truth. But truth is, you’re better off waiting to watch it on DVD or cable – with a bottle of wine at the ready. It still won’t be very good. But I’ve seen uglier. Click here to watch the trailer.

4 thoughts on “The Ugly Truth”
  1. I have to disagree about The 300 coming close to being a chick flick. Those abs could not sustain 90 minutes. Lost my focus after about 23.

  2. You forgot to warn about the raunchy scenes involving accessories which seem recycled from _When Harry Met Sally_. Loved the balloon scenes at the end tho.

  3. Ah yes… the “accessory” scene is definitely reminiscent of the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene from H&S, only more risque.

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