Saturday, October 3, 2015

Wise Men Say....

Up until now, Fools Rush In was another one of those “heard of but never saw” movies.  I had some reservations about seeing it for reasons that I will explain later.  I have always maintained that a good romantic comedy can be really fun to watch, however Fools Rush In falters on many levels.

Fools Rush In is the story of Alex Whitman and Isabel Fuentes who have a one night stand, and then decide to get married.  I found this movie a little hard to follow at times, which lead to me raising quite a few questions.  Firstly, Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek) travels over state lines to break up with someone over the phone at a bar???  This is not a good introduction for a character.  This is also the first time we see Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry) and while there some flirting going on between the two characters, there is nothing to suggest that they would go home together (even if it is for one night).  Also, Alex Whitman has a business meeting with a potential investor at his own home.  Would this meeting not be better suited in an office of some kind?  When Isabel shows up at Alex’s place 3 months after they slept together to tell him she is pregnant, Alex says he has been looking for her all this time.  No he has not!!!  We have seen no evidence of this!!!  Speaking of Alex’s home, it is never actually clear where he lives.  He says he is from Manhattan, but then he goes home to New Mexico??  In regards to Isabel’s pregnancy, there is a moment in the movie when Alex thinks that she is not going to have the baby.  The expression on his face is meant to be funny, but completely falls flat.  Speaking of jokes, there are many ill-timed racial and religious jokes that make you scowl instead of smile.   Also, can you really park on top of Hoover Dam?  If so, fine.  That is news to me.  If not, then why would you???  Another thing that bothers me about the movie is that we do not know what Isabel does for a living.  Is she photographer?  Is she a waitress?  *Whew*  That was exhausting.  There actually are some redeeming qualities about Fools Rush In which I am about to get to.

Matthew Perry plays Alex Whitman.  Remember those reservations about the movie I spoke of earlier?  Well, Matthew Perry is one of them.  No matter what movie I see him in, I always see his character Chandler from the television show FRIENDS.  Do not get me wrong, I love him as Chandler, but it would be nice to see him actually act.  That being said, there are moments in this movie where you can see him attempting to shed that character and become a good actor.  Good try, Matthew Perry.  A for effort.

I have always been a fan of Salma Hayek, and yes half of that is because she is stunningly gorgeous.  There are not many female actresses that are both beautiful and talented, but she is one of them.  She plays Isabel Fuentes in the movie.  She actually has a wonderful character arc in the movie.  You can tell that the night she spent with Alex meant a lot to her, and even after they get married she struggles to cope with the fact that they come from two different ways of life.  Hayek is one of the few good things about the movie. 

Andy Tennant is the director of Fools Rush In.  There are some great exposition shots at the beginning of the film that really help us understand that Alex and Isabel are two very different people.  Alex is from the bustling city of New York, while Isabel is from the landscape of New Mexico.  The relationship between Alex and Isabel is the clear focal point of the movie, and Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry actually have very good chemistry together.  The last 20 minutes of the movie are actually very enjoyable because there are some moments that are very funny, and you also see that Isabel and Alex really do love each other and want to have a baby together. 


I feel like Fools Rush In would be a good date movie.  There are things that guys are going to like, and there things that women are going to like.  If you are a fan of the cast, I would encourage you to see this movie.  Otherwise, just skip it.

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