Review of Down with Love

Introduction

Down with Love is a homage to 60s sex comedies, which adds a colourful new twist to a genre which seems to be dropping more turd bombs than any other in recent times. Written by the duo behind the awful `Legally Blonde 2` & helmed by a man whose main directorial credit is the equally hideous `Bring it On`, it`s safe to say the foundation was there for yet another Ashton Kutcher-like brainless affair. Step forward Britain`s own Ewan McGregor & the sultry Renee Zellweger, two actors who`s climb up to the A list has pretty much been coherent.

In 60s New York, Catcher Block (McGregor), a handsome & charming successful journalist, is the ultimate conquest for women everywhere. He knows not one woman he can`t shag or make fall hopelessly in-love with him. That is until best selling author Barbara Novak (Zellweger) arrives in town seeking publicity for her new book, `Down with Love`, which instructs women to adapt the mentality of a male during sex, and to detach oneself from emotion completely. Needless to say, the book becomes a best seller & brainwashes the entire female population, leading to them becoming the `dominant` halves in relationships everywhere. Catcher who sees the world changing rapidly around him, sets out to expose Barbara as a fraud by adopting a new identity & making her fall in-love with him.

Down with Love wasn`t exactly a hit at the box-office, which was probably due to so many recently released films of this nature being complete & utter ass crap. For this, you can blame the Ashton Kutcher brigade.

Video

Blindingly bright! Wow, this movie is like a gigantic Barbie world come to life, but luckily the transfer is just about up to the job. I say just about, because there are minor issues evident throughout. It isn`t the sharpest looking transfer you`ll ever see, nor is the detail as well defined as you`d want, but the film does have an element of softness about it, so it`s probably what we should come to expect. The image is perfectly free of any flaws, which leads to the transfer bringing Down with Love to us pretty much without trouble.

Audio

Although mostly coming from the front speaker, there are some pleasant surround sound treats here & there. The music on the track, along with the dialogue, does a great job of replicating a terrific 60s feel which contribute hugely to the effect the film has.

Features

The audio commentary from the director is the stand-out extra here, as it`s a fun variation of banter & insight which never loses the pace throughout. To just have Peyton Reed recording the track was for the best, as the film itself had the mark of an ambitious director who definitely set out to turn heads with this one, and his narration is that of passion that you really do sense it was his film.

There`s five deleted scenes that make their way onto the disc, which all have an optional commentary track from the director. Though not adding anything in terms of beef to the plot, there are some great laughs amongst them.

The blooper reel is one of the funniest I`ve seen & is quite a lengthy one at that. This reel does well to remind us that even movie stars can be mind numbingly stupid at times!

Down with Love goes pretty in-depth in its `making of` sector. There are six separate featurettes, that dissect every aspect of the production, yet you never get the feeling any of them are running overly long, they`re short & insightfull.

In addition to these solid extras, there`s the usual compulsory additions in the form of promotional material, such as HBO specials & music spots.

Conclusion

Ewan McGregor proves to be an inspiring casting choice as Catcher Block, who definitely leaves a lasting impression. Renee is cuter than I`ve ever seen her on film before here, but she does occasionally switch into minger mode. I found the movie itself to be one of the most refreshing & original pitches for a romantic comedy I`ve ever seen, and it really all did come together in a marvellous way. The dialogue is captivating, the directorial performance mesmerizing, the sets eye-catching, and the chemistry between its leading actors an absolute pleasure to behold. In addition, the movie genuinely does produce plenty of funny moments, yet beneath all the laughs is a great love story which ultimately is one of the most satisfying that I can remember of recent times. This movie isn`t your average romantic comedy, it`s great film-making by all involved, and it`s one I`ll be going back to many times I`m sure.

As for the features, it`s loaded pretty well for a none major studio release, with the commentary track, deleted scenes, wardrobe tests & extensive blooper reel being the pick of the extras. Round it all off with a competent track & transfer, you`ve got a disc that is certified value for money.