Life As We Know It (Warner Brothers)
Fantasy Land
The new Josh Duhamel/Katherine Heigl starrer is a film straight out of fantasy land. Their film Life As We Know It concerns a man and woman who are given custody of their best friends baby following a car accident. These two people are the type most people would not want to raise their baby, but through the magic of the movies they do just fine.
Holly (Heigl) is a caterer who goes on one date with Messer (Duhamel, a camera coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks. They have been set up by their best friends Peter (Hayes MacArthur) and Allison (Christina Hendricks) Novak. The date is a disaster, but they keep being thrown together because Allison is Hollys best friend and Messer is Peters. They are also godparents to the couples daughter Sophie.
Still it smacks of the absurd when the couple is killed in a car wreck, Holly and Messer find they have been named as Sophies guardians. They are to live in the Novaks grand Atlanta home with the estate paying for the mortgage.
This movie appears to want to make the point that even the most casually sincere people can raise a baby. Messer is still a playboy and brings his overnights home. Holly is a career woman who wants to expand her business. They both love Sophie but she does tend to get in the way of their wants.
When watching the movie it is best to think of it as a fantasy and not take any of the plot points too seriously. If you do then you will spend the movie seething over the couples shortcomings in the parenting field.
Heigl is one of those actresses you either like a lot or not at all. I fall into the not at all category. To me she is just annoying her looks, her actions, her endearing smiles. In every role she undertakes she seems to end up with the same persona and it is one that just bugs me.
Duhamel comes across better in his role as Messer. Messer is a mess but a charming one. He seems to know who he is and what his own limitations are. Duhamel appears to have a completely natural way of acting and interacting with Sophie and that adds to the charm of his character.
Josh Lucas plays Dr. Sam, Sophies pediatrician and a love interest for Holly. Their relationship is completely unbelievable and awkward. Lucas is a good actor and a handsome leading man. He deserves a better role than this one.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity.
People who love romantic comedies will probably love this one. It is just romantic enough and funny enough to make for a perfect date night film. The fact it is completely out in left field will be small detriment to those looking for this sort of entertainment.
Duhamel is charming in the movie while Heigl is charmless but maybe that balances out in some weird sort of way.
I scored Life As We Know It an unknown 5 out of 10.
