DOWN WITH LOVE

US, 2003, 101 minutes, Colour.
Renee Zellweger, Ewan Mc Gregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde- Pierce, Tony Randall.
Directed by Peyton Reed.

Forty years ago, there was a series of glossy romantic comedies, modern battle of the sexes stories where a strong minded-woman, Doris Day, was deceived by a self-centred man about town, Rock Hudson, chaperoned by his would-be Lothario friend, Tony Randall: Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me no Flowers. Forty years on, Hollywood has decided to pay its homage to these films, imitating their style while also ironically spoofing them. So, Down with Love.

The film is like a cake and icing, pure confectionary. The plot, with a feminist author defying a chauvinist magazine writer while he takes on the character of an astronaut to make her fall in love with him, could have been tailor-made for the Day- Hudson team. As it is, we have Renee Zellwegger dressed up like Doris, but too small, too squeaky voiced to have quite the same impact. Doris was strong, clear-voiced and direct. We have the slightly-built Ewan Mc Gregor doing deception like Rock but he lacks Hudson's big, dominating presence. However, David Hyde Pierce is very much in the Tony Randall vein. This means that it is a pleasant screwball comedy but lacks the oomph of the originals. Its double entendres, however, are far more blatant.

Those who don't know the originals may enjoy this throwback style of the 60s. Those who remember will appreciate what is happening but long for those good old days.

1.A romantic comedy? The 1960s setting? The homage to the Doris Day-Rock? Hudson type of romantic comedy?

2.The New York settings in the 1960s, the cityscapes, officers, apartments, restaurants, theatre? Authentic atmosphere? The musical score, the songs – especially ‘Down with Love’?

3.The title, its use in the book by Barbara Novak? Her philosophy of love and sex? Doing without men? The stances of Barbara, the response of Vikki, the various women in the office? The readership? The flight attendants? The women all over the United States? The reaction of the men, of Catcher Block, of the board?

4.Renee Zellweger and her style as Barbara Novak? Costumed and hair design of the 1960s? Postures and posings? The glamour? Her arrival in New York, at the office, with the board, with Vikki? With Peter? The appointments with Catcher Block and his continually phoning to break them? Her reaction? The plan by Catcher Block, the seductive behaviour, her believing his line about being an astronaut, from the south? The social whirl? His apartment? Her changing attitude towards Catcher Block? The revelation? The irony that she knew all along, her background as her secretary, her real name? The writing of the book? Her motivation? Love? Her success and his exposure? Her being in charge, his interview for the job, in love, the happy ending? A fantasy character?

5.Ewan Mc Gregor as Catcher Block, style, man-about-town, journalist, reputation? Peter and his desperation? Catcher and the article, the information, getting typists to do his work? His secretaries and their leaving? His antagonism towards Barbara? The flight attendants, his dates, his putting Barbara off? His concocting the plan, his apartment, the new identity, with Barbara? The final revelation – and his shock at the truth? His being defeated? Going for the job interview? The happy ending? The suave American type?

6.The subplot with Vikki and Peter, their work in the office, Peter and his struggles with Catcher, wanting to be like ordinary men, Vikki and the romance, thinking that he was gay? The apartment, his confession? The happy ending for the two of them?

7.Gladys and the people in the office, the influence of Barbara? The members of the board, the meetings, the discussions, the humour with their initial names? Their being yes-men? Theodore Banner, the irony of Tony Randall taking this role, his portrait, his speeches at the meetings?

8.The high life in New York? Affluence? Magazines, fashions? Fashion shows? The theatre? Restaurants?

9.The battle of the sexes 1960s style? And the homage from the beginning of the 21st century?