Right, right, right…. whoa, wrong
The entire premise is unique for Did You Hear About the Morgans? It’s a new way to go on divorce comedies. The problem this movie suffers from is that the two lead characters are completely and utterly a bad pair. I’m not talking about Paul and Meryl Morgan; I’m referring to Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker.
There is not enough storyline in the world to convince me that Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker would ever get married. This is the first movie in a very long time that I felt like the lead characters are just plain awful. What’s even more regretful is that I can’t pinpoint who is the awkward person out in the pair. It could be that Grant’s charm wears thin in such the presence of a serious, mature looking Parker. His bumbling comedy might have worn thin over the years and should only be restricted to shorter stints; like his role of Prime Minister in Love Actually. Much like Jim Carrey’s physical comedy, Grant wears thin quickly and his charm is in need of a gearshift.
An example of Grant’s bumbling moment is when he’s confronted by a bear in front of the Wyoming home that he resides in. He interacts with Parker’s character and they both bicker back and forth. He maintains his bumbling English man role and tries to capture the same charm he did nearly 10 years ago. Instead of cute, he makes you (the audience) want to divorce him. There are many moments in the film where he does this and it just doesn’t turn out as well as it should.
On the flip side to that coin, Sarah Jessica Parker’s demeanor as a mean, heartless woman that is confused and lost in life is a bit overused as well. Think of her as her Sex and the City persona Carrie Bradshaw, but without all the love/emotion. She is uncaring and unconvincing as the wife that is hurt by the follies of Grant’s character.
An example of her role is that she is supposed to slowly fall back in love with Grant. Her stiff, uncaring demeanor prevents this type of developing. She simply doesn’t fall for the charm that Grant is trying to emit. When the transition does happen it is confusing, awkward and unconvincing. It could be the lack of proper writing, but it seems more like Parker.
Without one or both, this story could have worked. The idea of a divorcing couple forced to live with each other in a place that is far from the norm is silly/comical. But because of their lack of chemistry onscreen the moments are ruined by stale moments of awkwardness and an empty promise of love. The moments of comedy are just completely wasted. Again, the moments are are there, but the two leads simply don’t go together, which hurts the believability of the story.
For once the person to blame in this movie is the casting person, producers and the director.
Great premise, original content, but just bad selection for acting.
Now, about the Blu-ray….
The Blu-ray portion of the film is actually excellent. While I have seen better transfer from film to HD, I’m still very impressed with the visuals/audio. There are moments of graininess in a 1080p picture, but the beautiful scenery of the country sure makes Blu-ray something else. Blue skies, endless landscapes make for a perfect backdrop for high definition video. The audio is equally impressive when you’re listening through a 5.1 system.
As for the features, here’s what you’re getting:
– Deleted Scenes
– Outtakes
– Commentary with director and cast
– Cowboys and Cosmopolitans
– Park Avenue Meets the Prairie
– Location, Location, Location: The Making Of Did You Hear About the Morgans?
– A Bear of a Scene: Behind the scenes with the bear trainer from the film
– International Making-of Special
– MovieIQ
– BD-Live
For a movie that isn’t that great, the features actually turned out pretty well. It’s never a good thing when there is more substance with multiple features and more explanation with commentary than in the actual movie. You’ll probably really like the features.