Hitch is a fairly formulaic but still very watchable romantic comedy starring Will Smith and… well, starring Will Smith and some other people. It’s was basically a star vehicle for one, though for me one of the lesser-known stars clearly stole the show here. But before we get into that, let’s look at the basic premise…

Meet Hitch.

Hitch (Smith) is a Love Doctor – that is, he helps men to do and say the right things to land the girl of their dreams. He shows you how to be stylish, how to make an impression, how to act in various situations; how to be successful with the object of your desire.

Meet Eva

Sara (Eva Mendes) is a workaholic gossip columnist (yeah I know, how can that be a job!?!?!), whose attitude to men is very plainly that she’s not interested in them. But can she resist the charms of Alex “Hitch” Hitchins when she meets him?

They meet, they fall in love, they fall out of love, they fall back in… if you’ve ever seen a romantic comedy, you know the drill. While there are quite a few funny moments, the romantic element didn’t really work for me since Eva has so few redeeming qualities. A side-plot at least shows Hitch to be rather principled, but Eva just wants to dig up dirt on everyone she meets or sees – just how are you supposed to warm to a character like that? I certainly couldn’t.

Fortunately the film doesn’t rely on just that one relationship.

Enter Albert

Albert (Kevin James) is a bored, accident-prone accountant, whose problems are compounded by the fact that he has fallen head over heels in love with a woman so far out of his reach that the whole idea of her falling for him – or even noticing that he exists - is too remote for words…

Enter Allegra Cole

Allegra (Amber Valletta), rich, beautiful, and well connected, uses the accounting firm Albert works for. Albert once lent her a pen. And… that’s as far as their relationship has ever got.

Until, that is, Albert employs the services of a certain love doctor named “Hitch”…

This romance, ridiculously improbable though it is, is actually very sweet and makes for a much more interesting story than the main one. This is largely due to the fact that Kevin James’ performance is flawless, he’s certainly one to look out for in the future. Both Albert and Allegra are basically likeable (albeit pitiable) characters, so unlike Hitch and Sara, you actually want them to get together.

Director Andy Tennant (whose best film was almost certainly “Ever After” starring Drew Barrymore) does a pretty good job of keeping the action moving but hampered by the unappealing leading lady (well okay she looks pretty damn appealing but that’s not enough!) and too many throw-away characters that could have been interestingly developed, this film never shifts out of third gear. It chugs along pleasantly, provides a fair number of laughs, leaves you with a smile on your face at the closing credits – but that’s it. It stops quite a way short of being memorable. So we have (yet another) perfectly watchable film that is also perfectly forgettable. There's enough to like about it that I considered giving it 4 stars despite itss faults, but the inclusion of a couple of swear words just to make it seem a bit more "adult" (n a movie that's quite suitable for family viewing otherwise) and the fact that they bottled out of having the women actually do anything at the end (despite a set-up that suggested otherwise) made me finaly decide on 3 stars. Perhaps a little harsh, but I have spoken, I shall not change my rating now. :-D


If you like romantic comedies, you’ll enjoy it but it’s nothing special. If you don’t like the genre, avoid.

Interesting but useless factoids

Kevin James played a factory worker in 50 First Dates

Amber Valetta played Paula in Family Man

See Also:

My Ten Favourite Romantic Comedies



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See Also

Top Ten Films of 2005

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Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older