Fool's paradise

Sukanya Verma

Fools Rush In supposedly falls in the genre of romantic comedies. In the event, the romance is laughable, the comedy anything but funny.

The story revolves around two people. He: Hip, materialistic, Manhattan nightclub designer Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry). She: Sexy, domestic, Mexican photographer Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek).

The two meet in Las Vegas. Sparks ignite, chemistry kicks in, and a steamy one night stand results. Isabel then does the disappearing act, only to resurface three months later with the claim that she is pregnant with Alex's child.

The duo get married. And the clash of cultures begins.

Do they find a middle ground? Do they evolve, grow, as a couple? That is what the movie is all about.

Or rather, that is what it is supposed to be about. While the plot raises a lot of questions, it falls flat when it comes to answering them.

The cast is yet another handicap. Brace yourself for disappointment if you expect Friends star Perry to be anything like Chandler, with the corny remarks and the throwaway humour that characterises his performance in the teleserial. Here, Perry has been given a role on the lines of Hugh Grant in Nine Months -- it is to his credit that he somehow manages to carry it off.

Hayek is magnetic, she lights up the screen with her presence. But the chemistry between the lead players, such a vital element in a love story, is missing.

Add shoddily etched characters and a yucky soundtrack, and you end up wanting to rework the title.

Fools rush in to see this flick, where wiser heads avoid.

CREDITS:
Cast: Matthew Perry, Salma Hayek, Jon Tenney, Carlos Gomez,Tomas Milian, Siobhan Fallon and John Bennett Perry
Director: Andy Tennant
Screen Writers: John Taylor and Katherine Reback

RELATED LINKS:
The official website
Matthew Perry
Salma Hayek