SOMEONE LIKE YOU
SYNOPSIS:
When TV talent agent Jane Goodale (Ashley Judd) meets her new
executive
Producer Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear), sparks fly and love is in the
air. When the relationship falls apart, Jane takes the spare
bedroom in the flat of her womanising co-worker Eddie Alden (Hugh
Jackman). She begins to research Male behaviour, developing a
cynical hypothesis that compares the mating habits of men to
bulls. Eddie is a perfect prototype and fascinating to observe.
Her friend Liz (Marisa Tomei), an editor at a men's magazine,
persuades Jane to write a sex column under a pseudonym, which
much to her surprise becomes a huge success. But the human heart
is more complex than mere instinct and Eddie displays another
side of his personality.
A sassy, romantic comedy about the battle of the sexes,
Someone Like You is a delight. Based on the novel Animal
Husbandry (the original film title), the concept may not be new,
but the performances (especially that of dazzling Ashley Judd),
are so enjoyable that it is easy to be charmed and entertained.
This is the kind of film that Hepburn and Tracey might have made
in the golden years of Hollywood; here in New York yuppie-dom,
the Moo-Cow theory is explored. Cows seem to be getting their
fair share of attention these days; Gary Larson humanised them in
his cartoons and recent films like Me Myself and Irene and Say It
Isn't So have embraced them (albeit not always successfully), in
their brand of humour. But here, the notion that bulls are
attracted to 'new' cows and not 'old' cows is made into an
amusing analogy around men's insistent interest in sexual
conquest. Presented in a cute and appealing way with a witty
script and engaging direction, Judd is the key to the film's
appeal. She is sexy, stunning, effervescent and wholesome all at
once, adding comedy to her already impressive list of talents.
Hugh Jackman and Greg Kinnear work well as the men in her life;
Kinnear is a real charmer as the cad, while Jackman shines as the
misunderstood womaniser, who is really looking for love. It is a
pedigree cast indeed, with Marisa Tomei and sensual Ellen Barkin
providing some of the most memorable moments. 'I bit myself
shaving' is one of my favourite lines - says Jackman, when Judd
points out a hickey on his neck. But there are plenty of snappy
lines and the film kicks along effortlessly with its oomphy
soundtrack. It's a an emotional ride and perhaps surprisingly,
the film's strongest moments are its dramatic ones, which spear
the heart. It's all about men's copulative imperative to spread
the seed, while gals lust for love and commitment. It's
uplifting, funny, romantic and moving - and in the final
analysis, vive la différence!
Louise Keller
When Someone Like You began with a theory about personal
relationships narrated over scenes of animals, I had the feeling
it could be a re-run of the dreadful The Batchelor. I’m
pleased to report it certainly isn’t that bad. As things
progressed, and the story about the lives and loves of a group of
professional people in New York developed, I thought maybe we
were in for something like Woody Allen’s Manhattan (there’s
even a sequence very similar to one from the earlier film). But
unfortunately it didn’t come close to scaling those heights.
Someone Like You falls into that middle ground of inoffensive but
lacklustre movies. It features a basically sound premise,
likeable (even credible) characters, and its heart is in the
right place. Where it falls down is in the plot, which doesn’t
develop its good ideas into anything more substantial and opts
instead for stale contrivances. I can see where the filmmakers
wanted to go with the story; but the path they chose for it
becomes increasingly tortuous and ends up pretty much where it
started. The film’s other problem is that it does a great
job showing pain, but seems to have trouble showing joy – a
bit sad for a romantic comedy. Ashley Judd is passable as Jane.
She has to show a lot of emotion in this film, but her
performance is hit-and-miss. She does a good job as the woman in
love, but the scenes in which she’s required to be angry
simply fall flat. Marissa Tomei as her friend is much better.
Greg Kinnear continues his retreat from romantic leading man
roles as the confused but manipulative Ray, while Hugh Jackman is
testosterone on a stick as Eddie. While there are some good
things going for Someone Like You, it never quite manages to rise
above the mundane.
David Edwards
I never wanted to say this, but here goes: It's a sign of the
times. This year's fluffy romance films like Sweet November, The
Wedding Planner, Bounce, and Head Over Heels have failed to
register anything remarkable about love, and none of the actors
in them have shown an ounce of chemistry for each other. Studios
try desperately to keep up with young audiences (their greatest
market) by churning out one modern romance after another, but the
stories are as thin as the actresses who pout all over the tall-dark-and-handsome
uber-men. Well I'm young and I say "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND
I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!'' Okay, so Peter Finch said
that in Network, but it's true. These recent romances haven't a
patch on past Hollywood greats like Casablanca, Gone with the
Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and To Catch a Thief. Can anyone
even tell me the last great romance movie? It certainly won't be
Someone Like You. If the generic title doesn't tip you off as to
its mediocrity, watching the film will. The obscure, poorly
explained theory about male-female relationships according to (wait
for it) a young career woman is so misguided that we see she's
influenced by her own romantic entanglements before she does.
Comparing bed-hopping to the mating rituals of cows? What? Cows,
bulls, men - whatever - this muddled mess of hapless reasoning
goes straight to the dogs. It puts Judd more in the shadow of
Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz than ever. Perhaps that's why the
filmmakers try to wake up male audiences by having her
cheerleading in a pair of skimpy knickers. Don't ask. Hugh
Jackman fares marginally better, but one must say he's saturating
the market, and can't seem to keep his shirt on. He and Judd kiss
by the end, but, like Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt's climactic
kiss in As Good As It Gets, one thinks their relationship won't
last beyond the end credits. Perhaps Bridget Jones's Diary will
offer more. Then again, how much Hugh Grant can we handle? And if
you're thinking Pretty Woman was the last great romance movie,
well, as I said, it's a sign of the times...
Shannon J. Harvey
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CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 1
Unfavourable: 1
Mixed: 1
See our interview with

HUGH JACKMAN
Author LAURA ZIGMAN speaks to Louise Keller



SOMEONE LIKE YOU (M)
(US)
CAST: Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Hugh Jackman, Marisa Tomei,
Ellen Barkin
DIRECTOR: Tony Goldwyn
PRODUCER: Lynda Obst
SCRIPT: Laura Zigman (novel Animal Husbandry), Elizabeth
Chandler (screenplay)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony B. Richmond
EDITOR: Dana Congdon
MUSIC: Rolfe Kent
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Dan Leigh
RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Fox
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: July 12, 2001
VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Fox Home Entertainment
VIDEO RELEASE (Rental): February 13, 2002
VIDEO RELEASE (Sell-thru): August 14, 2002
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