Cheap Down with Love (Widescreen Edition) (DVD) (Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, David Hyde Pierce) (Peyton Reed) Price

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Customer Reviews of Down with Love (Widescreen Edition)

Retro-romance, bright and glossy, and really works
Down With Love (2003) Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, David Hyde Pierce, Sarah Paulson, Rachel Dratch, Jack Plotnick, Tony Randall, Jeri Ryan, Ivana Milicevic, D: Peyton Reed. Retro romance-sitcom has the look, clothes, and color design of the Doris Day-Rock Hudson films that are celebrated here and its synthetically too perfect world, set in 1962 N.Y.C. It's "Battle of the Sexes" when slick, smiling playboy/magazine journalist Catcher Block (McGregor) poses as an astronaut to small town gal Barbara Novak (Zellweger)-whose best-selling feminist novel Down With Love tells women to turn down love which begins to infuriate the men-so he can make her fall head over heels in love and write an expose on her. Hyde Pierce and Paulson play their sidekicks. The formula gets unconventional when a tacked-on twist with Zellweger speaking a longish line of dialogue goes through mistaken identities. Smart, enthusiastically performed rendition could've been less campy, but it's hard to dislike and cleverly and amusingly produced. Running Time: 94 minutes and rated PG-13 for sexual humor and dialogue.

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Up with "Down"
Maybe it's because I love classic movies that I loved "Down With Love" so much. The entire movie has a deliciously retro feel, in the Doris Day/Rock Hudson mold of "Pillow Talk" and similar films, and it only staggers once or twice. Overall it's a nice comedy -- not quite on the level of the films that inspired it, but a pleasant romantic comedy.

It's the 1960s; women have jobs, but no respect. But things are about to change: Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger) has written a groundbreaking ook for women: She advocates "a la carte sex," and a focus on business rather than romance, which will give women new power in the world. With the help of a ersistent editor Vikki (Sarah Paulson), "Down with Love" becomes an international bestseller. Up next is the first big publicity factor: an article in a hot men's magazine called Know, written by the prominent writer Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor).

The problem? Block is a suave womanizer with a slew of quickie girlfriends (stewardesses) and a complete lack of respect for Novak. He keeps cancelling his business meetings (each cancelled meeting is another rendezvous with a stewardess), until Novak takes revenge on him by dissing him on a talk show. Block's love life immediately takes a downturn. What is Block going to do? He's going to scheme his way into Novak's affections as a sweet astronaut... let the hijinks begin.

Critics have been judging "Down With Love" too harshly; frothy comedies are and have always been just that -- froth. You won't find deep currents in old favorites like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" or "Roman Holiday," any more than you will in "Down With Love." It's funny, silly, cute, and Zellweger and McGregor look like they're having a great time. Admirably, the movie never strays into overkill -- it's a parody, but a restrained one. A wink is better than a nod, less is more, and other cliches. If this had been a full-blown spoof it would have lost some of its entertaining quality.

A special note should be made of sets and costuming: as before, these are all reminiscent of old comedies and the pristine, over-the-top furnishings and clothes. They manage to avoid the tackier elements of the 1960s, though, and the result is a bright, cute, colorful backdrop to bright, cute dialogue. And it is cute -- sometimes a little too cute, but always fun to listen to.

Zellweger is a fantastic comic actress, and she gives Barbara the right combination of sweetness, humor and fire. Ewan McGregor has never been more suave, slick and rarely has been so sexy. (With his chin, suit, voice and hair, he looks eerily like Cary Grant in some scenes) Sarah Paulson is also quite good as Vicki, Barbara's editor, and David Hyde Pierce is pretty good as Peter MacMannus. He does get annoying in some scenes, though.

Looking for a deep, insightful, message-heavy movie? You won't like "Down With Love." But Zellweger and McGregor are immensely entertaining, in one of the few semi-successful romantic comedies.

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Get Down With Love
Down With Love is a homage to the Doris Day and Rock Hudson comedies of the late 50's and early 60's. The film revolves around a young, unknown writer Barbara Novak (Renee Zelleweger) who has penned a runaway bestseller, Down With Love, which says that women can act just like men especially when it comes to sex. Women all over the country are becoming liberated and men aren't happy. Magazine writer and swinging ladies man Catcher Block (Ewan MacGregor) wants to interview Barbara and when he is denied, he sets up a scheme to take her down. Posing as a shy, mild-mannered astronaut Zip Martin, he sets off to make Barbara fall in love with him and disprove the whole Down With Love premises. Along for help are Catcher's best friend, Peter MacManus (David Hyde Pierce) and Barbara's best friend and editor (Vikki Hiller). Tony Randall, who appeared in three of the Hudson-Day films, makes his final film appearance as the head of Barbara's publishing company. The film is an entertaining romp and the actors have their tongues firmly in their cheeks. Mr. MacGregor & Ms. Zelleweger have great chemistry and the fun they having in the film clearly shows off. The sets are magnificent and the retro look and styles adds to film's appeal. The closing credits contains a great song and dance number with Mr. MacGregor and Ms. Zelleweger clearing taking advantage of the talents they showed in Moulin Rouge & Chicago respectively.