Ira & Abby

Before watching this I heard the film was like the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. The effort to follow in the footsteps of that successful romantic film cannot be denied, but compared to it, this film is much weaker. The cast is not as star-studded, but above all, it is not as functional because both main actors lack the charisma and experience of their predecessors, despite their good intentions. The dialogues, on which a film like this should be based, are not as well-written, so there is usually nothing to laugh at, and if there is, it is something we've seen a hundred times before. One of the best scenes includes a situation where the former mistress and current wife unknowingly talk about the same man. Haven't you seen that somewhere before? Moreover, because the dialogues are not as well-written, they are not timeless either. At the same time, a very important element for the success of a romantic film is missing, which is the ability to identify and sympathize with the main characters. Chris Messina tries to create a caricature of a neurotic intellectual Jew, but compared to someone like Woody Allen, he doesn't measure up, and Jennifer Westfeld is supposed to represent a free-spirited girl, but her empathy and hyperactivity give a different impression, and at times, it seems like she's on meth and at other times ecstasy. The necessary amount of stylized exaggeration is poorly estimated when two people meet, have a pleasant conversation, sleep together, and then come to the conclusion that it would be sensational to get married. It's more of an idea for a crazy comedy than a realistically portrayed love story. Overall impression: 50%. (02.12.2009)