The Ugly Truth

Director:
Robert Luketic

Writers:
Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith

Cast:
Gerard Butler as Mike
Katherine Heigl as Abby

Released: 2009
Studio: Columbia
Box Office: $56,640,785 (as of 8/4/09)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 15%
IMDB Score: 6.3

Date Seen: August 4, 2009
Format: Theater

The most important aspect of any romantic comedy, especially the type where two people who start out hating each other end up together, is can the audience believe that the characters would actually end up together in the real world. Or in other words, is the progression of their relationship on screen believable. In The Ugly Truth, I absolutely did not believe Mike and Abby would ever be together. In a much better rom-com, When Harry Met Sally…, they realized that they actually loved each other slowly over the course of the movie. When she realized that she liked him in this movie, it was because he had just ordered tap water in a club. How stupid is that? I never did find out when or even why he would ever like her. She is a neurotic control-freak and never comes to a point where she realizes she needs to change. If he didn’t like her before, why would he like her now?

The movie was not without it’s high points. It was quite funny in parts and had potential to be a good film like the much better (and funnier) Knocked Up, also starring Katherine Heigl. It was just weighed down by too many cliches. Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl both did admirable jobs portraying their characters and overall the acting was not bad. They were just working with a weak script but did the best job they could do. The balloon scene though was poorly executed on the effects end. The lighting and shadows did not match with the background and made it very noticeable that it was shot on a green screen. The best effects are the ones that you don’t notice.

Favorite Performance:
Gerard Butler as Mike

Favorite Quote:
Mike: You’re all about comfort and efficiency!
Abby: What’s wrong with comfort and efficiency?
Mike: Well nothing, except no one wants to f**k it.

Grade:
C-

Recommendation:
Skip it and watch When Harry Met Sally…