Cast: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, David Hyde Pierce, Sarah Paulson, Tony Randall
Director: Peyton Reed
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
Screenplay: Eve Ahlert & Dennis Drake
Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth
Music: Marc Shaiman
U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox
With Down with Love, director Peyton Reed has addressed the common complaint of old-time film-goers that "they don't make movies the way they used to." This feature is intended to emulate early-1960s sex farces in every way imaginable. The intention is not to parody the genre, but to affectionately re-create the kind of movie that was popularized by Doris Day. Down with Love shows the strong influence of 1959's Pillow Talk and 1961's Lover Come Back, both of which starred Day, Rock Hudson, and Tony Randall, who has a small cameo in this movie. Following last year's Far From Heaven, this becomes the second "retro" movie to arrive in theaters in less than 12 months.
Down with Love opens with the '60s 20th Century Fox logo before proudly announcing that it has been filmed in Cinemascope. The period illusion continues through the cheesy opening credits and into the movie, which takes place in 1962 and looks like it was filmed then. Great attention has been paid to detail, and some viewers will undoubtedly be on the lookout for anachronisms. (I didn't notice anything obvious.) The music, cinematography, and editing are much in keeping with the era. There are no rapid cuts or cutting-edge camera angles. Wardrobe and set design flawlessly evoke New York City as it was in '60s movies (not necessarily as it was in real life). Everything is reasonably simple and straightforward, relying on dialogue and character interaction to involve the viewer. It's apparent that Reed has studied the films he is emulating, because his style is nearly perfect.
The film introduces us to Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger), a small-town girl who has come to New York City for the publication of her book, Down with Love. Barbara has written a how-to tome on female empowerment, which advocates three simple steps that women can use to achieve equality in both the bedroom and the work place. The keys to success involve treating sex like a man does and eating lots of chocolate. Peter MacMannus (David Hyde Pierce), the editor of Know magazine, wants his star reporter, Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), to interview Barbara for a story. Catcher initially blows off the assignment, but, after the book becomes a huge best-seller and changes the attitudes of women world-wide, he can't get an appointment with her. So, determined to prove her to be a fraud – someone interested only in "love and marriage like all women" – he creates the false personality of Major Zip Martin to seduce her. Predictably, Catcher's plan works too well – not only does Barbara fall for him, but he falls for her. But she has a trick or two up her sleeve.
Down with Love is light, funny, and clever. It understands the genre (often not the case with romantic comedies, regardless of the time period). There are times when the film's seeming naïveté will cause viewers to chuckle, but this is a case in which the filmmakers expect the audience to laugh at their production, much as anyone watching those early-60s romantic comedies will be amused by their innocence. In addition, there's a fair amount of overt humor, such as a rat-a-tat exchange that comes across like a "Who's on first" bit (the conversation involves the names of two competing magazines, Know and Now) and a split screen phone conversation that uses odd body positions and double entendres to suggest a variety of sexual activities. This is as risqué as Down with Love gets. There's also a wonderful scene where Barbara has a single-shot, five-minute monologue during which she hardly takes a breath. When she's done, there's quick cut to Catcher's stunned reaction. It's a very funny moment. There are also some memorable one-liners sprinkled throughout.
The chemistry between the leads, Zellweger and McGregor, is playful. The two don't radiate sexuality, but that's not the point of the movie. Zellweger captures Day's essential charm without trying to copy her directly, and McGregor draws inspiration from the likes of Cary Grant and Rock Hudson. David Hyde Pierce is typically high-strung as Catcher's best friend and boss, and Sarah Paulson plays Vikki Hiller, Barbara's chain-smoking editor, with verve. As a nod to the '60s movies that inspired Down with Love, Tony Randall has a small role as the owner of the publishing company that puts out Barbara's book.
Those unaware that this is intended as an affectionate revival of a kind of film that hasn't been seen in more than three decades may find Down with Love to be a strange entity. At best, teenagers might see this as a kind of old-fashioned fairy tale. However, those familiar with the era to which Reed aspires will sit through Down with Love enveloped by a feeling of fondness and affection. It's sort of like looking at old, yellowed snapshots after many years and dredging up only the good memories. Down with Love may not achieve huge box office numbers, but I'm glad the filmmakers got it into theaters.
© 2003 James Berardinelli