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"Alex
& Emma" is the story of Alex Sheldon, an eager young Boston novelist
who has spent the past year working on his second novel and working himself into
$100,000.00 worth of gambling debt. The time has come to deliver both.
His publisher wants a finished product and two Cuban loan sharks want their
money. Unfortunately for Alex, he has been suffering from writer's block
for the better part of a year, has only eight words down on paper, his computer
has been torched by the loan sharks (obviously pen and paper guys) and he now
has thirty days to write the book, get paid, pay the loan sharks and go on with
his life. (Needless to say, if he doesn't finish the book it could be a
toss-up as to who kills him first - his publisher or the loan sharks.)
Without
a computer, Alex's only hope lies in the services of court reporter/stenographer
Emma Dinsmore (as he apparently has a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome or
very poor penmanship that precludes him from handwriting the manuscript
himself). Despite her reservations, Emma agrees to "type"
the book as Alex dictates. There's just one problem (okay, one of many) -
every time Alex opens his mouth, Emma has a comment, or two or three, about the
character or the plot, questioning the storyline that Alex has just dictated.
The novel is set in 1924 and the film segues back and forth between the past and
present with Alex and Emma playing the 1924 characters and the various
storylines that develop through Alex's dictation. And of course, as the
novel's characters fall in and out of love and love triangles develop, so goes
the real life course of Alex and Emma.
Luke
Wilson and Kate Hudson star as Alex and Emma and have about as much chemistry as
a fizzled out Fourth of July firecracker. They do, however, have superb
comedic timing, most notably in their repartee on plot and character development
as well as in their 1924 period pieces where Hudson appears as four different
characters, each with a different accent and nationality. Sadly, Wilson,
who as a rule delivers a solid, believable performance with each role he
tackles, falls flat here, lacking any real emotion. Hey, if someone was
going to kill me in 30 days, I think there would be some degree of panic and a
total lack of free-flowing, perfectly structured and punctuated dictation.
At most, you see an occasional slight glimmer in his eyes as Alex realizes he is
falling in love with Emma. Supporting performances by David Paymer as John
Shaw, Adam's 1924 millionaire rival for the hand of the glamorous and sexy
Polina Delacroix, and Sophie Marceau as Polina, are almost stifled. Paymer
who always gives a stand-out performance in a supporting role, seems to be
"hanging", unsure and restrained in the role of Shaw, while Marceau
basically just spends the film looking Great Gatsbyesque glamorous.
Touted
by director Rob Reiner as a cross between "When Harry Met Sally" and
"The Princess Bride" and based on a real life incident in the
life of Feodor Dostoevsky, "Alex & Emma" doesn't even come
in a close third. Although "When Harry Met Sally" was basically
about the developing life long romance of the title characters, there were
distinct and separate relationships with supporting characters that helped
establish and build the main characters. Here, there were none.
Using the main characters to play literary characters in the 1924 cut-aways
emulating the emotions or imaginations of the "real characters" failed
to supply a much needed counter-balance, dynamic and aid to character
development.
Obviously
realizing some of the downfalls in the script, writers Jeremy Leven, Adam
Scheinman and Andrew Scheinman, together with Reiner, appear to have attempted a
poor mans' version of Meg Ryan's Sally, giving Emma the Sallyesque
qualities like rapid fire talking when nervous and "everything on the
side", although here we find Emma peeling tomato skins off her tomatoes
because not everyone likes tomato skins on the tomatoes. Kate Hudson
doesn't need to play or be a take-off on anyone. Even with a poor script
and poor story, she still shines.
But all
is not lost, the film gets a big lift from the period set decoration by Andi
Brittan and period costuming by Shay Cunliffe. Both capture the
essence and feel of 1924 beautifully.
Rob
Reiner knows romance. We saw it with "The American President."
Rob Reiner knows comedy. We saw it with "This Is Spinal Tap."
Rob Reiner knows romantic comedy. We saw it with "When Harry Met
Sally." Hopefully, Rob Reiner just suffered a case of writer's
block/director's block like his character Alex Sheldon with "Alex &
Emma."
Emma,
Ylva, Elsa, Eldora and Anna: Kate Hudson
Alex, Adam: Luke Wilson
Polina: Sophie Marceau
John Shaw: David Paymer
Warner Bros. presents a film directed by Rob Reiner. Written by Jeremy Leven.
Running time: 96 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for language).
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