Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

  • 2009-05-21
  • By Monika Hanley

PREDICTABLE: It's clear from the beginning of the film that the suave fashion photographer will end up falling for his old childhood friend.

Director: Mark Waters

Sometimes the things you leave behind are still right where they were before 's whether it be a book, a friend or your old self. In this case, it's "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.
However this movie, neither Christmas film nor a classic, takes the overall theme and applies it to playboy and scoundrel Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey plays Connor Mead, a fashion photographer extraordinaire 's so amazing and charming that he has three ladies to break up with at a time.

The movie unfolds with Connor's little brother preparing to get married, and Connor, who is not a big fan of commitment, trying to break it up.
He runs into old flame/childhood friend Jenny (Jennifer Garner) who is dead set against him ruining anything. He does so anyway by shooting a champagne cork into the massive wedding cake.
At the point when it seems like he is about as deep in as he could be, he is visited by the ghosts of former girlfriends who show him his past, present and future.

This ends up showing him that his childhood crush and later flame Jenny was the only real, true love he had and that he shouldn't run from it. 
Jennifer Garner tries to play someone other than her sweet, innocent self, and she does it fairly successfully despite some occasionally unbelievable threats to chop off male appendages.
I would put the movie into the same category as say, "No Reservations," "The Break-Up," "Failure to Launch," and "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" 's movies that feature big names, but are easily forgotten because of their random or overdone plot.  

The last two movies mentioned also starred Mathew McConaughey. Coincidence? Probably not. The actor has had enough forgettable movies to fill a small library.  
Not to say the movie isn't worth watching 's there aren't a whole lot of romantic comedies to choose from at the moment. The main problem with the movie is that there is no "will they end up together or not" mystery to it.

Once the movie starts and you realize that Connor and Jenny had been friends when they were young, and Connor realizes that he loves her, the rest is pretty much a roundabout way of getting to the end. But what else can you expect from the director of "Mean Girls?"


Coming to Lithuania and Estonia 5/29, Latvia 7/03


 

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