JUST MARRIED
Ashton Kutcher (Dude, Where's My Car?) and Brittany Murphy (8
Mile) waste their star power in this lackluster romantic comedy from Shawn
Levy. The ill-conceived plot du jour tosses two lovers from opposite sides of
the tracks into an impetuous marriage. It's not until their honeymoon in Europe
that they discover those little dark secrets about each other that could spoil
their wedded bliss. As DJ wanna-be Tom, Kutcher recycles his wide-eyed goofball
persona pleasingly -- though at times he seems to be paying homage to Tom
Green. It's Murphy who plays against type as a bubbly, blonde rich girl from
Beverly Hills. Her Sarah is reminiscent of Reese Witherspoon's lovable ditz
from Legally Blonde -- and Murphy is adept at the cute-perky
shtick, too. Beyond the pair's improbable meeting, Just Married is
devoid of romance. It opens with their tumultuous near break-up and then bides
its time retracing the trite ticks that brought them to that point. Aside from
a few funny bits involving the Mile High Club and a French bulldog, this is a
turgid affair that the two budding stars (a couple in real life) should have
said no to. (95 minutes) At the Entertainment, Flagship, Holiday,
Narragansett, Providence Place Mall 16, Showcase, and Tri-Boro cinemas.
Issue Date: January 17 - 23, 2003
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