Debra Messing as Kat Ellis
Dermot Mulroney as Nick Mercer
Amy Adams as Amy
Jack Davenport as Edward Fletcher-Wooten
Sarah Parish as TJ
Jeremy Sheffield as Jeffrey
Peter Egan as Victor Ellis
Holland Taylor as Bunny
Jolyon James as Woody
Critique:
Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) has a problem. Her sister Amy (Amy Adams) is getting married in London and she needs a date to flaunt in front of her ex-boyfriend. Fortunately for Kat, an incredible date is just a phone call and a few thousand dollars away in the form of male escort Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney).
Mulroney does a great job at being the object of most women’s desire. He is confident, charming, and handsome while still being easily approachable. Messing, on the other hand, comes across as insecure, needy and desperate. The rest of the cast are mostly British, with the exception of Sarah Parish as TJ who injects some much needed life into the film.
The movie is basically a role reversal remake of “Pretty Woman” and the ultimate outcome is pretty much known when walking into it. The intervening plot must sell the story, and it is hard to understand why Nick would fall for Kat. The comedy is often funny, but not side splittingly so. The romance simmers at times, but never boils.
Technically, the movie is sound. There is some pretty cinematography in the British countryside, the music is catchy and appropriate, and the editing is smooth.
Who should watch this movie? To put a trite label on it, it is a chick flick. We follow Kat everywhere, and the movie is told from her point of view. If you are going on a first date, this is a good choice. The plot is simple, so you can spend some time looking at your date instead of the screen. The humor is bawdy but not crude, and the romance is more fun than overly sexual. There is little action, other than a foot-chase, and no real reason to engage your mind. Overall, if you are looking for a light-hearted movie to pass the time you should be happy, just do not expect much more.
