The Whole Nine Yards

I watched this one on the dish the other day, eager to see Montreal in a movie actually playing Montreal, as opposed to masquerading as New York or Chicago or some other city. Other than that, I really didn't know what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised in a few ways. Matthew Perry was playing his usual goofy character, as a result of total lack of any acting ability whatsoever. But Bruce Willis is always good, Amanda Peet stole the screen in almost every scene she was in, and the plot line was just quirky enough to be entertaining. Innovative and fresh, I found this film to be more creative than most of what's currently out in the theatres. It didn't have that formula imprint of so many Hollywood films (i.e. take the comedy formula off the shelf and cast it by Friday). I actually laughed out loud at a few moments.

The movie did go wrong in a couple of places. Being a Montrealer, I noticed a few things that most viewers might have missed. For instance that their obsession with Mayonnaise on hamburgers, which is integral to the plot, isn't based on any reality that I know of as I have yet to find a Montreal restaurant that puts mayonnaise on burgers. Rosanna Arquette's French accent is even worse than mine, even though it's supposedly her character's first language. Matthew Perry's love scenes with Natasha Henstridge are so ridiculously unrealistic, even the non-cynical will yawn. And the director seemed to have an obsession with pointing out Montreal landmarks, even if they had nothing to do with the plot.

Those are small things in the grand context of the movie, though. If you liked movies such as The Big Hit, this is very similar. It's not meant to be taken very seriously, so the plot turns are more for absurdity's sake than for any kind of buildup of suspense. Still, if you're looking for some lighter entertainment, it's a good choice.