Directed By: Robert Luketic
Written By: Nicole Eastman and Karen McCullah Lutz
Staring: Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Bree Turner, Eric Winter, Nick Searcy, Jesse D. Goins, and Cheryl Hines
Abby Richter: What’s wrong with comfort and efficiency?
Mike: Well nothing, except no one wants to fuck it.
Review
The Ugly Truth has a lot of what a typical romantic comedy does, but it has a little something extra. It says the “F” word regularly and has Gerard Butler saying it. It resounds itself back to regressive stereotypes, and of course each lead character is the “exception” to that rule, but the rest of the film was charming enough, or at least Gerard Butler was, that I didn’t remember how much I despised Katharine Heigl . There was chemistry between the leads, though at the end of the day I did feel like Butler was too good for his supposed girl.
A control freak woman who has a complete check list of what the “right” guy’s qualities are supposed to be finds her life chaotically meshed with that of a chauvinist male TV host. She becomes his producer and together they clash as each are the embodiment of what the other can’t stand in a world of stereotypes and cliches. Forced to work together they begin to discover they don’t loathe each others company as much as their brain tells them they should.
Most of the rom-com clichés were ever present and yet I think I found the ability to enjoy it because it wasn’t so heavy on the sap. It’s true that a lot of romantically inspired films aren’t created with the forethought to be believable, but The Ugly Truth is one that really stretches it’s capacity. Though it stretches, it ultimately succeeds because it’s bold and cheeky thanks to it’s “R” rating, as it strays it’s appeal from idealistic adolescents to adults, and maybe even tolerable enough to take a date to with both sexes enjoying.
The film bases it’s powerful punch around the concept of the chase being more fun than the catch, and The Ugly Truth lives up to that stereotype. This chemical and age ole attraction is what propels the movie and makes it more interesting than just Heigl and Butler having exchanges from scene to scene. Accompanied by a ton of low brow humor, this movie became more funny than romantic, and really that’s something that was a relief.
There is nothing remarkable or extraordinary about The Ugly Truth. It’s story is lacking sophistication and anything resembling witty dialogue, but it’s raunchy tale of opposites attracting coupled with Butlers and Heigl’s genuine chemistry makes it be a film well worth watching. His comedic timing saves the film, and his likability makes you want Heigl just because he does, even though she’s still pretty much insufferable. This movie had me laughing out loud and enjoying the eye candy of the lead actors. I liked it, and in spite of my own brain telling me I shouldn’t, I’m pretty sure I’d watch it again. The Ugly Truth was wrong on many levels, but I still liked it.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Agree with most of your general comments. The film is decent but standard rom com stuff. But have to disagree with your comments about Katherine Heigl….she is a delight in everything she does…and in this sort of rom com she really is fantastic. I thought she carried the movie and although Butler struggled with this accent a bit there was good chemistry between the two.
I will refute both you and Martin. I HATED THIS MOVIE. I was supposed to a romantic comedy. I was not. It was raunchy, vile and replusive. Why was this movie released in theaters? There is no universe that the woman-hater would fall for the type “A” producer. Poor Eric Winter. These people were so stuck-up that they didn’t care about his feelings.
Hahahaha. The part that I liked about it was that it was vile, raunchy, and repulsive. If it wasn’t it would have been a boring opposites attract by the numbers rom-com to me.
I still can’t stand Heigl but I thought Butler’s charm was redeeming enough for me to overlook her irritating demeanor.