DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? REVIEW

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS
Director: Marc Lawrence
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Grant, Sam Elliott
Screenplay: Marc Lawrence
Running Time: 103 min
Rating: PG
**/*****

THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IS HOW

BORING THIS IS!

Not quite code Gigli but still bad even by romcom standards, Did you hear about the Morgans? is unfunny, unimaginative and an unfortunate waste of time.

The Morgans are a recently separated couple who agree to meet for dinner to discuss the future of their relationship. On the way home they happen to witness a murder by a notorious hitman and narrowly escape becoming his next victims. As the killer remains on the lose the Morgans are forced into the witness relocation program, where they must adjust their big city attitudes to fit in with the values of small town Wyoming.

The film marks the third collaboration between Hugh Grant and director Marc Lawrence, a partnership which keeps producing worse and worse product. After the ho hum Two Weeks Notice and the absolute snooze fest that was Music and Lyrics you'd think the pair would come up with something a little more interesting to work on. Alas this film is just the same old shtick devoid of the charm that made the before mentioned titles remotely watchable.

The predictability of the story is not the problem with the picture, after all if a romcom isn't predictable then it's not a romcom. The main faults lay within the poorly written characters and an hour and a half of situational comedy that falls shockingly flat. The film feels drawn out and incredibly slow. As it meanders along aimlessly we are bombarded with a plethora of fish out of water gags that are never funny to begin with and are only made worse but the either fatally dull or embarrassingly stereotypical characters involved in them.

An audience can forgive a romcom for almost anything if the chemistry between the two leads is sizzling. Take The Proposal and The Ugly Truth as more recent examples of this; bad films, big box office! Unfortunately Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant just don't have "it". You don't really care about what happens to their relationship, quite damaging considering this is the basis of the film. Their performances are lackluster and the fact that they are playing their usual screen persona's is only worsened by the poor script. Added for some extra comic relief but not quite making it are the pairs unamusing assistants played by the usually brilliant Elisabeth Moss and newcomer Jesse Liebman. Rounding out the cast is Queen of the thankless supporting role Mary Steenburgan and Mr. Mustache Sam Elliott as the two law enforcement officers assigned to protect the Morgans. Unfortunately the pair fail to rise above their type A southern stereotypes .

Chances are if you've seen the trailer for this you really don't need to see the movie, as all of the best parts of the film are in it. Did you hear about the Morgans makes for some harmless viewing but if your time is precious perhaps wait for DVD. TWO STARS OUT OF FIVE