KissaBoo

The Girl Next Door

1.5 on the MovieLens scale

Time for me to give a fast review for a movie I saw a few weeks ago to prevent the public from seeing it under false pretenses. The plot of this movie screams classic Teen Sex Comedy, yet it manages to be neither funny nor sexy. Admittedly I've only seen the first hour of the movie, but its general tone doesn't promise a major switch after that point. Fox did so many free screenings of this movie that it raises a flag. Heck, my parents went to a free screening of it after being sent tickets.

I just never cared for the protagonist of this film. I've seen the actor, Emile Hirsch, before playing a scientist's son in the throw away Sci-Fi film Gargantua, where he might have shown more honest emotion over a baby monster than for Elisha Cuthbert. The humor in this film, as dictated, is provided by his uncomfortableness when confronted with the sexuality of Elisha Cuthbert's character. Somehow his sweaty teenage angst when she disrobes to her underwear for a swim or his attempt to bed her after discovering her past just made me feel uncomfortable for him rather than laugh at the scenarios. While there are moments of humor (pretty much all shown/hinted at in the trailer), this movie has the feel of a drama about him "saving" her from her past, which is ridiculous. If the acting was more over the top it would have some camp value, but it even misses on that account.

Elisha Cuthbert is, of course, attractive through out, but once again the trailer or the clips on ifilm.com show her best work.

If you plan to see this film, just remember that you won't be rolling in the aisles, but occasionally ogling Elisha for an hour and a half.