Directed by Rob Reiner. 95 minutes.
Starring Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson, Sophie Marceau, David Paymer, Rob Reiner, and
In 1987, Rob Reiner directed the
wonderful fantasy, The Princess Bride, a film about a young boy who had
a novel of vast imagination read to him by his uncle. Alex and Emma, the
latest film from Reiner, also concerns the dictating
aloud of a novel, this time from author Alex Sheldon (Luke Wilson) to
stenographer Emma Dinsmore (Kate Hudson). You see,
Alex owes some tough guy types some money he lost when gambling and has been
given thirty days to write his latest best seller, the first was Love Means
Always Having to Say You’re Sorry, a title that I believe that no author,
even Danielle Steele, would ever use, and give the check he will receive from
his publisher to the aforementioned tough guys. While I could believe all of
the fantastic storylines that ran throughout the mythical The Princess Bride,
I find both of the storylines (the fictional and real one) incredibly
hard to swallow.
Let me start by describing the unnamed novel that Alex is dictating to Emma. First of all, no credible author (or even hack author, for that matter) would write this novel. It is trite, clichéd, formulaic, silly, and paint-by-numbers. Why Reiner could not come up with a better idea for Alex’s novel is beyond me. This is the man who created the ingenious This is Spinal Tap. I just expect more, I suppose. This novel follows the exploits of a young schoolteacher (also played by Wilson) who has come to reside at the home of a rich, attractive woman (Sophie Marceau) whom he falls in love with, mostly just because she is good looking. Also after Marceau is David Paymer, a man whom she might just marry for money, rather than love. All of the scenes that are played out in the dictated novel (in which Kate Hudson plays a variety of ethnic housemaid characters) have the feeling of a parody of a novel.
Even more curious than the novel that Alex dictates is the story taking place between the author and his stenographer. Why, for example, does she agree to take the job typing the novel for him when he says, from the beginning, that he cannot pay her until the end of the job, when most likely she could find a more credible job than this. Also, at first, she thinks that she has been called to his apartment for sex. Would she really trust a man whom she hardly knows and has suspicions about to be around him for the next thirty days? Doubtful. Second big question. Why and how do Alex and Emma fall in love? There seems to be no real evidence of it happening and the only reason that I could find for the two to become interested in one another is that this film is advertised as a romantic comedy and would disappoint audiences if they skimped out on the romance. Otherwise, no dice. One minute, they are arguing over the content, which they probably should have spent a great more time arguing about considering the content, and the next minute its goo-goo eyes and proclamations of love.
The main problem here is that I know that all people involved can do better than this. Reiner has made some truly wonderful films in his career- A Few Good Men, This is Spinal Tap, Misery, Stand By Me, and The Princess Bride. I wasn’t too crazy about his last film, The Story of Us, and, unfortunately, Alex and Emma is a step down. I hope his next time out as director proves to be more fruitful. Both Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson are talented actors, though this year has not been the best for them with Wilson starring in the awful Old School and Hudson in the mediocre How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Dostoevsky, whom the film has apparently based itself upon, has certainly seen better days as well.
Where the film could have been funny, it feels flat- especially in a scene where Wilson pleads with some flamenco dancing villains. The movie could have been romantic or charming, while instead it feels trite and unconvincing. The story could have made some comment about the writing or creating process, which here seems to be as easy as simply deciding that you are going to write or create, but does not. Alex and Emma, much like it’s frustrated author, Alex Sheldon, eventually writes itself into a corner.