movies

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 28 February 2008

Sam Shepard and Uma Thurman starring in The Accidental Husband

Agony aunt Uma’s painful attempts at decent comedy

THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND
Directed by GRIFFIN DUNNE
Certificate 12a

TALK radio agony aunt Emma (Uma Thurman) is a woman who has made a career of dispensing advice and warm words to young couples about to tie the knot.
She has conservative views on love and marriage, but suddenly finds herself in a pickle when her own pending wedding to publisher Richard (Colin Firth) is threatened by an unwelcome spectre from her past, a charming and handsome neighbourhood fireman (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who insists she’s already married – to him.
He even has the papers to prove it.
Emma can’t remember ever meeting him, and it turns out that he forged the documents to get revenge after she advised his own beloved to dump him – on air, for the whole world to hear.
Now she has to obtain an annulment from her “accidental husband” – not so easy, because his carefree passion for life tempts her away from the security stretching ahead with her very square and very rich publisher.
With her long blonde hair and legs that go on for ever, Uma is not your idea of the average motherly shoulder to cry on, but she wades into the role with relish.
With some regret, because she is the sexiest thing to grace this week’s new films, I have to report that the lady lacks a real gift for comedy, and the light touch of, say, a Lucille Ball or a Shirley MacLaine.
Her slapstick is quite embarrassing: sample, slipping tipsily over in a bar and bumping her head repeatedly as she struggles to get up – until she passes out. Stick to wielding that Samurai sword, Uma, and being beastly to the ungodly.
Sam Shepard (Emma’s father) and Isabella Rossellini (as a pushy neighbour) add their weight to a lighthearted comedy which proves, if nothing else, that romance can often be a greasy pole.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

» Film Times
» Film Reviews
» Buy DVDs
» Rent DVDs