[manigrasso]

Early in the movie, I think when Emile Hirsch first sees Elisha Cuthbert, the music being used is so Tangerine Dream-y, it had to have been meant to be a Risky Business homage. As was most of the movie.

Anyway, I found the entire movie oddly joyless. Hirsch was passable, but bland. The situations he was put in were interesting (or were supposed to be), but he himself never was. He never brought anything to the role. I understand the idea that porn hottie next door might want/need someone normal, but "normal" and "boring" are not mutually exclusive terms. And the same was true for her. Aside from being ridiculously hot, there was nothing about Cuthbert that was so awesome I could imagine an honor roll student chucking it all for her.

But of course that's part of the point, isn't it? The idea is not that Hirsch's character was in love, but in flux. Stuck on a path where he was not allowed to deviate, lest his whole future get fucked up, and needing something that wasn't that path to focus some of his energies on. He could have discovered stamp collecting or ham radio instead of a hot next door neighbor, and though there would've been considerably less eye candy, the script would have made just as much sense.

Maybe I'm just showing my age (I did feel a bit like a Chester watching it), but even the more comic exploits in the script felt like they were taking themselves seriously. And maybe I'm wrong on this, but it also felt like between the movie's production and release, Elisha Cuthbert became much more of a deal, so attempts were made to make more out of her performance.

And the final conflict between Hirsch and Olyphant was so ridiculous. As much as I tried in vain to suspend my disbelief for the rest of the plot, here's what I got out of the final conflict.

Olyphant: You stole my best stars & ripped off my ideas, now I'm gonna destroy you.

Hirsch: Actually, I didn't steal your idea. I made it better.

Olyphant: Awwwww, ya got me! Good on ya, mate! Good luck in all your future endeavors!

Seems to me that anyone as bitter & jaded as Olyphant's character still would've beat the shit out of Hirsch on principle: Maybe you didn't steal my idea but now my idea can't be used, AND you still stole my best stars, so I'm going to fucking kill you. Not as upbeat, but it makes more sense to me.


And, if it needs to be said...no Cuthbert nudity? bad movie! BAAAD!
Sorry I can't join in on anyone else's enthusiasm.