It's no big secret that romantic comedies follow a strict formula. For instance, no one in the audience is surprised in act one, when boy meets girl under kooky circumstances (think boy lending girl a pen on the first day of class after hers falls off the desk, just out of reach) or in act two when aforementioned girl suddenly realizes that all she has to do to be happy is bring down her emotional barriers and allow herself to fall in love (but only after a healthy dose of honest advice from her snarky best friend, of course). Both of these scenarios occur in Something Borrowed, but this is just the “what” of the movie. And let’s face it, we rarely go to a romantic comedy for the “what.” We go to swoon, to laugh, and, probably more often than we’d care to admit, to idealize another’s perfect life. And in this regard, Something Borrowed succeeds on almost all accounts.
Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is nice, successful, modest and above all, a complete push-over. Her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson) is the polar opposite. She is (from the best we can tell) jobless, egotistical and, well, a bitch, which of course makes the two perfectly compatible. When Darcy steals Rachel’s college crush Dex (Colin Egglesfield) away from her, she simply accepts it, telling herself that a guy like Dex would never like a girl like her. Fast-forward four years or so and Darcy and Dex are happily engaged with one little hitch: Not only is Rachel secretly in love with Dex, the feeling is mutual and the two soon find themselves in a messy love triangle.
Kate Hudson is a downright scene stealer in her portrayal of the self-centered, vindictive Darcy who will do anything to get her way. At one point Rachel says of Darcy, “She sees them, she wants them, she gets them.” And if for some unimaginable reason Darcy’s prey does not yield to her devastating charm, what’s a little fib to save face? Hudson perfectly captures all these nasty character traits and more but what is so refreshing about her performance is that she is so gosh darn lovable. She is the friend every woman has undoubtedly had at one point in her life: toxic yet fiercely loyal. She exhibits the attention span of a fruit fly, the sex appeal of a Beyonce back-up dancer and that slight pinch of emotional vulnerability that all add up to a terrific girl-we-love-to-hate.
John Krasinski and Steve Howey also deserve credit for their comedic contributions to the movie. Steve Howey plays Marcus, the all too familiar lady’s man who dishes out such repulsive pick-up lines as: “Don’t worry, the capacity to be pleasured only increases with age.” While Howey will get you laughing with his charming stupidity, Krasinski will undoubtedly get you snickering with his insightful wise-cracks and wide-eyed stares that have become the stuff of Office legend. Krasinski’s character also serves as the much-needed voice of reason throughout, particularly when the soap opera meter gets a little too high. “Rachel, it’s not complicated: he’s being a dick and to be honest, you’re being kind of stupid,” he tells a frazzled Rachel. He is and she most definitely is and it’s a relief to hear it out loud.
The film’s one noticeable flaw is it’s leading man, Collin Egglesfield, who plays Dex. Being that the leading man is a pretty vital component of any rom-com, the movie suffers in parts, or more specifically: the parts that he is in. Egglesfield teeters on the line of mysterious and just downright boring, most often falling on the side of the latter. In one particular scene he sneers and swallows, struggling to squeeze out some tears and we suddenly get the distinct feeling of being in a high school Intro to Drama class.
Leading man aside, Something Borrowed is an enjoyable one hour and fifty-two minute ride through the lighthearted terrain of friendships, betrayals and good old fashioned self-discovery. While it won’t likely be joining the chick flick big leagues any time soon, it is a welcome addition to any Blu-ray collection. For those suffering from summer blockbuster fatigue - Something Borrowed is the perfect antidote.
Blu-ray Bonus Feautures
When you see the credits roll, immediately eject disc because you won't find anything of value in the special features. But if you are still curious, expect four extremely brief featurettes including a location tour with Something Borrowed author Emily Giffin, a "guide" to charming the ladies with Steve Howey, and two discussions among the stars on turning thirty and the meaning of the wedding custom of which the film is named after. Throw in a pointless gag reel and four understandably excluded scenes and you've got yourself the special features!
"Something Borrowed" is on sale August 16, 2011 and is rated PG13. Romantic-Comedy. Directed by Luke Greenfield. Written by Jennie Snyder Urman (screenplay) and Emily Giffin (novel). Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski, Kate Hudson.
