May 1, 2009
Review: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Or, "He Really Is That Into You But Acts Like A Jerk Anyway"??
Given the literary conceit behind this movie I was worried it would be cheesy and precious, as Hollywood is wont to be when dealing with any version of "A Christmas Carol." But it wasn't. In fact, I thought it effectively kept some of the dark undertones of the original tale. If you've seen Scrooged you'll know exactly what to expect. If not, be prepared for something more interesting than a fluffy rom-com.
Like many recent movies (e.g. He's Just Not That Into You) this one trades in uncomfortable rather than outright funny moments and wrestles with the problems of modern dating. The overall effect is entertaining, but in a somewhat darker vein than the advertisements would lead you to believe.
I hardly need mention the plot--it's pretty darned obvious--but here goes: fashion photographer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is a incorrigible lothario who doesn't believe in love, even using his long-suffering personal assistant Melanie (Noureen deWulf) to juggle his many girlfriends. Nevertheless, he heads home for his brother Paul's (Breckin Meyer) wedding to Sandra (Lacey Chabert).
At the rehearsal dinner, Connor runs into old flame Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) and as the evening progresses, he methodically ruins everything for everyone involved in the wedding. At the same time, his dead Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas) appears and warns Connor that he will be visited by three ghosts.
Lo and behold, he is then haunted by The Ghost of Girlfriends Past, in the form of his first girlfriend Alison (Emma Stone); The Ghost of Girlfriends Present, who looks like his assistant Melanie; and the Ghost of Girlfriends Future (Olga Maliouk), who (true to the original) does not speak at all, but uses silent gestures to warn Connor of the dismal future awaiting him.
All too often, a character like Connor would be lovably flawed but McConaughey (despite his knack for playing likable slackers) doesn't go for the charm here. Instead, he goes for full-on, emotionally-damaged jerk, a move which is both refreshing and necessary. After all, we need to believe that his character is horrible enough to merit divine intervention.
Connor's relationship with Jenny is also believably complicated. Garner, despite looking like the girl next door, plays Jenny as a sharp cookie whose only mistake was really falling for Connor. As we see in the flashbacks and present day, Jenny has always called Connor on his BS and this is why he's always loved her, whether he admits it or not. This makes Connor and Jenny's dialogue deliciously prickly, and the great chemistry between McConaughey and Garner just adds to the fun.
