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Each star trots out their reliable old personae here: Bullock is the sassy yet self-conscious smartmouth you've seen in 28 Days, Miss Congeniality, Forces of Nature, etc., etc., etc.; Grant is the self-deprecating yet sly English charm-boy you've seen in Four Weddings and a Funeral, About a Boy, Mickey Blue Eyes, etc., etc., etc.

For two actors of such limited range, it's pretty surprising that the two breathe life into such potentially dreadful movies.

So it was only a matter of time before some savvy producer saw the potential success inherent in the mixture of Bullock Bubble and Hugh Goo.

And let's be honest: we couldn't really expect a better film from this combo than the rather bizarre romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice. Bizarre in that I can't remember the last movie I was in which so little happens. Like, at all!

Bullock is a struggling and environmentally-minded attorney to Grant's mega-millionaire tycoon. Against all things logical, the robber baron hires the plucky kvetch to be his head council. If I told you that they fall in love, you wouldn't be surprised.

If I told you it took about 100 minutes to happen, you'd scratch your head. Yes, Two Weeks Notice is one of those romcoms in which everyone in the known universe knows these two are gonna get together...everyone except the two clueless dolts, that is.

This means we're offered a whole series of minor roadblocks (real estate deals gone sour, disapproving parents, horny new secretaries, etc.), each of which are meant to convince the audience that maybe the two movie stars won't be caught in a slimy wet liplock come the end credits.

You could cut the tension with a pillow.

So put aside the woefully familiar plot contrivances and romantic movie entanglements; none of it is new, nor is it presented in any stylish way. The gold here (and indeed the only real asset the movie has) is to be mined via the lead actors. Heck, it's just fun to hear these two banter back and forth, what with Grant's vocal stammering and Bullock's physical stuttering.

Needless to say, I'm kind of a fan of both actors. If you're not, I absolutely label this a 1.5 star flick and demand you never see it. Then again, if you're already not a fan of Bullock and Grant, then you wouldn't be caught dead near this flick anyway. So forget all that.

As pedantic and rote as the following sentiment is, I must admit that it's wholly true in the case of this particular movie:

If you like Grant and Bullock, you'll enjoy this one. While it's on the screen anyway. I challenge you to remember one meager detail one week after you've seen it. So lightweight and airy is this star-driven yakfest that I suspect it could cause some poorly-anchored movie screens to break their moorings and float into the heavens.

Piffle, essentially, and there's nothing wrong with piffle when it's presented by people you like. Put Jennifer Lopez and Freddie Prinze Jr. in this flick and I'd never stop throwing up.

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originally posted: 01/31/03 14:45:41
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