Ugly Truth
You know, in this day and age where so-called âmenâ try to flaunt their sensitive side by prancing around in womenâs shoes all the while getting themselves tattoos in order to mask their huge emotional insecurities, what it all comes down to is that at the end of the day (unless they consider themselves gay), all of them are still MEN, with the same needs and wants and desires as all the others of their increasingly debased gender, and that ultimately is what turns a lot of women off once they pry under the surface and discover their true nature. Thus is the case with last yearâs hit film, which successfully subverts the romantic comedy genre with a breath of fresh air, due possibly to the fact that it was brave enough to go for an R rating (mostly due to language) than the soft, unrealistic PG-13 romps weâve grown accustomed to. Katherine Heigl (displaying pure star power and unmatched comic timing) plays a TV morning show producer in search of the âperfectâ man, that being one that matches each attribute that she seeks on her little checklist (basically the archetype of every male lead seen in chick flicks and romance novels). Enter Mike Chadway (Gerald Butler, in a role that is the polar opposite of his Phantom Of The Opera turn), an unabashed male chauvinist hired by her network to do commentary on the morning show where he exposes the âugly truthâ (hence the filmâs title) about the dynamics of relationships between men and women all the while doing news pieces that would make Howard Stern proud like rolling around in jello with a couple of bikini babes. Naturally, his alpha male schtick repulses Heigl until she meets the man of her dreams, a pretty boy doctor (Eric Winter) whom she desires so bad that she turns to Butler for advice in order to find out what kind of a woman it is that most guys want, which leads to many of the comedic highlights. The film benefits from a sharp screenplay from newcomer Nicole Eastman, which isnât afraid to get the Butler character across by allowing him to be as crude and crass as possible, even coming up with some sexual innuendo that are new ones even to me (flicking the bean?), while Heigl plays an uptight control freak that still enables the viewer to root for her (like at certain points when she does her spastic âhappy danceâ). While it is highly doubtful a morning news show would actually allow such a commentator on their show (complete with foul language), and itâs a little far-fetched to see Butler become a on air pseudo-sex therapist for the (married) co-anchors, the laughs keep on coming faster and louder than any rom-com of the past 10 to 15 years, from Heigl being on a blind date and asking him questions from info she gleaned off of a background check, to the moment that Heigl wears a pair of âvibrating underwearâ that just happen to go haywire during a corporate dinner, to the network desperately trying to replace Butlerâs he-man routine by bringing in a guy who laughingly jokes about the several women heâs raped on air(!), with the best thing of all being that the film avoids PREDICTABILITY, from how Heiglâs relationship with the doctor plays out to genuine doubts from this viewer about just how and if the two leads will actually get together, coupled with a sparkling chemistry they share as eventually we learn that Butlerâs cynicism about relationships was sparked by the number of times heâs had his own heart broken. Overall, one of the best and funniest romantic comedies of all time, and finally a date movie that both the girl and guy can enjoyâŚ
9/10