Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan.

Oh come on, I had to refer to James Bond. It is a classic. And given that Pierce Brosnan is my all time favorite Bond, I earned that introduction. Yep, you read it right. It is not Sean Connery. And heaven forbid, it is definitely not Daniel Craig (although he might be my least favorite). To me, Daniel is so…not charismatic or charming or attractive (and Bond should really be all those things)! And he is so…so…so blond! (I had this funny conversation with my friend where she counter argued that she does not object to a Bond with blond hair but a blond Batman should never have existed- a.k.a Val Kilmer. Val is my favorite Batman so..each to her own, I guess.) Anyways, Pierce is the man. He is the perfect 007. He is hot and well-built. It doesn’t take a lot to seduce women. I wish Pierce could have played James Bond a couple of more times- the guy grows even more handsome with age anyway. He used to be a pretty boy who has turned into this gorgeous man. He also has this contagious smile that seems to bring out all his lust for and joy of life.

He is not just an action actor by any means. Sure, he has done a good job with Thomas Crown Affair as well but putting Pierce in romantic roles is a damn good idea. Have you seen the 2004 movie Laws of Attraction? It is a typical rom-com so if you are expecting something different, that ain’t it. However romantic comedies aren’t really about the endings or twists anyway. Let’s go through the elements.

Clichés?

1) The leading female Audrey (Julianne Moore) is a lawyer who is organized,almost to the point of obsessiveness. Now the writers do love to portray women as annoyingly tidy and men messy, right?

2) Our male lead Daniel (Pierce Brosnan) is also a lawyer who could not have been less organized. He is messy,funny and charming.

3) The female is pessimistic is about love yet our male – despite being a divorce lawyer- is just a happy-go-lucky romantic. Now I haven’t seen a guy that fun, smart, attractive and entertaining who also happens to be a romantic. And yes it will take only a little time for him to develop feelings for the cynical yet likable Audrey.

4) Opposites attract. Rivals are attracted to each other. Yeah, whatever.

5) You know it is a happily after. Check out the genre and the poster.

BUT…

1) I like Julianne Moore and I like Pierce Brosnan. He definitely pulls out scruffy well. And frankly I’d rather watch a typical rom-com then over-pretentious and disappointing drama/thrillers like Blindness or The Forgotten.

2) The storyline It is fun. You see Audrey and Daniel meet as opposing councils during a trial. They realize the other one is a worthy opponent and after some fun and games, Daniel and Audrey go out on a dinner, supposedly not a date. Of course when the story mixes mutual attraction with heavy alcohol and fun and…yeah, they have sex. However the next day they do have a trial to attend to and Daniel has picked this exact moment to take Audrey seriously and looks more professional and efficient whereas you can tell that Audrey had a “wild” night. Moreover, Daniel also uses a below-the-belt trick at the trial and wins. Of course Audrey declares war and from then on, the competition gets tough and fun, reaching a peak when Daniel gets a client Audrey is after: a famous fashion designer (Parker Posey) divorcing her cheating rocker husband Thorne (Michael Sheen). So Audrey strikes back by signing Thorne. The case research requires a trip to couple’s estate in Ireland and Ireland…is a lovely country, full of potential for romance. So it seems like Audrey and Daniel are best buddies compared to their spiteful clients and another night full of fun and drinks leads to…let’s say more than just sex: Marriage… How the hell are two competing divorce lawyers gonna explain this to the judge?

3) I love rockers and I love rock and I appreciate the humor that comes with it. Michael Sheen is so funny as the spoiled musician.

So…

The movie is fun. If you like Pierce Brosnan/Michael Sheen/Julianne Moore and/or romantic comedies, you shouldn’t miss it. Otherwise, well…try something else.