Barely a spark of originality in 'The Wedding Planner'

By Joko E.H. Anwar

The Wedding Planner ** out of four stars; Romance/Drama/Comedy, 103 minutes; Starring Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers, Kathy Najimy; Directed by Adam Shankman; A Columbia Pictures Presentation

JAKARTA (JP): After watching Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider and then Jennifer Lopez's The Wedding Planner, one might notice similar things about the leading ladies in both movies.

Both have become sex symbols in the industry, although Jolie shines through more as adventurer Lara Croft in Tomb Raider than does wedding planner Lopez.

In their films, both Jolie and Lopez have the tools necessary to their jobs on their person: Jolie has two guns and cool gadgets, while Lopez carries with her breath mints along with other tools to make sure the wedding she is organizing goes as planned.

Still, Lopez's The Wedding Planner is not a memorable affair and may be best forgotten.

Watching Lopez playing a vulnerable, goofy and love-struck woman is amusing after seeing her as a strong, intimidating, man- dominating woman in her steamy music videos and other movies.

Plus, when we heard she was going to play opposite charming leading man Matthew McConaughey, well, we thought there would be "something" on film. Who knows, maybe the screen would sizzle just like when she played opposite George Clooney in the clever, enjoyable Out of Sight.

But don't get your expectations too high because the movie just misses being a mediocre romance/comedy that only girls in their early teens would enjoy.

What we get is Lopez appearing to imitate Julia Roberts. The film, which runs like the leftovers of Roberts' charming movie My Best Friend's Wedding, shows barely a flicker of originality.

The film opens with little Mary Fiore (Lopez) playing with Barbie and Ken dolls, for which she then organizes a wedding.

As an adult, Mary is a successful wedding planner who can arrange just about anything for a wedding -- from giving a nervous bride a pep talk to snapping a drunk father of the bride- to-be back into soberness with one of the tools around her waist.

Guests at the weddings she organizes always think that back at home Mary has a colorful romantic life. Little do they know that she goes home to nobody to share dinner or her double bed with.

Well, according to the film, she becomes a hopeless case after going through a bad relationship a couple years back.

And hard work seems like a good idea to forget her monotonous private life.

A silly accident -- she gets her shoe stuck in a manhole while a runaway dumpster is heading her way -- makes a twist in her life. She is rescued by a gorgeous looking pediatrician who later treats her and takes her to an amusement park. And soon she finds herself falling for him.

Everything seems right, except that the man is engaged to be married. And it is Mary who is organizing the wedding.

The film starts out OK, and, well, there was no harm in hoping it would at least be enjoyable.

As the film progresses, however, it becomes downright disappointing.

For one thing, it's hard to find one funny scene all through the film (a scene where Lopez and McConaughey break a penis off a statue in the park is far from funny).

Still, both leading characters have their appeal.

McConaughey is charming as always with his heavy Southern accent and his unintimidating good looks.

And the screen loves Lopez, but she tries too hard to play a girlish role and has no talent for comedy.

When the two share a scene, there is only a little spark, a case of how stars' appeal does not always work.

Screenwriters Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis might be the ones to blame for their failure to provide actors with a witty storyline, which would have prevented a disappointing end to the film.

One enjoyable thing at the end of the movie is when the film's closing credits roll up and Lopez's new song Love Don't Cost A Thing is featured -- if you care to sit tight all the way through, or if your movie theater lets the film run through to the last frame.

In short, there is not much to recommend about this film, not unless you are a die-hard fan of Lopez'.