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FILM REVIEW: 27 DRESSES

By Lisa Spurgin ⋅ April 12, 2008 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

If there’s one thing mainstream American cinema has taught its audiences, it’s to treat the downright implausible as if it were commonplace. Which goes a long way to explaining the first obstacle that has to be bypassed in watching 27 Dresses – how the frankly gorgeous Katherine Heigl could ever be relegated to position of eternal bridesmaid. But of course, 107 minutes has to be filled and such simplicity will not do, besides it gives us mere mortal single girls a chance to shriek “Hey, that could be me in that hideous puffball creation!” Or something. So Heigl (the one who gets, erm, knocked up in Knocked Up) plays the sort-of plain Jane who, as can be seen from the title, has been a bridesmaid 27 times.

27 Dresses is bursting at the seams with all the standard rom-com clichés and stock characters. Kooky best friend – check. Unrequited love with handsome boss – check. Hell, there’s even an impromptu song and dance routine in an outback bar (which is actually the highlight of the film). Therefore, it should be no great surprise that when aforementioned boss and sister announce their engagement that a cynical but actually quite sweet writer (James Marsden) is waiting in the wings and that Jane’s attraction to him isn’t exactly instant. The formula has been done many times before so that any plot development can be seen from a mile away but as long as its taken with about 27 pinches of salt – after all, what bloke would leave his number in a personal organiser plastered with wedding dresses instead of chucking it in the bin and making a run for it? – 27 Dresses is a passable fluffy bit of escapism, if probably best reserved for the girls.