Dave This is a romantic comedy set in the early 1960s in New York City. It is done is the style of the romcoms that Doris Day starred in during the 1950s and 1960s. This is a pale imitation of them. Although the stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor have acted very well in other films, they're awful in this. Zellweger and McGregor can't decide whether they're paying homage to Doris Day romcoms or making fun of them. I don't know who the intended audience demographic for this film was. The large majority of film fans in the 21st century aren't into this style of comedy; those who are wouldn't enjoy this mediocre copy of them. It's too tame and bland to be a funny parody and too badly made to be a good imitation of them.

poetcomic1 By being crude, raunchy and mean-spirited, the whole movie is not at all like the Doris Day-Rock Hudson originals it is supposed to spoof. There are so many little touches they COULD have used to make this amusing and fun - one thinks the writers hardly looked at the originals when they wrote the script! Ewan McGregor is a laughable 'metrosexual' when compared to the he-man types of Rock Hudson or James Garner of the period this is supposed to spoof.Except... for one role. David Hyde Pierce saves the movie. He does such a SPOT-ON take of the classic Tony Randall role and the dialog that is written for him is SO perfect it would have been a hit for Tony Randall to read the same lines in the early 60's. I swear, they must have had one genius writing for Pierce and a roomful of morons writing the rest of the movie.

bigeoghanwhelan Ewan McGregor features in yet another unremittingly awful offense to the senses. He really does just dial it in here. In what's supposed to be an homage to/spoof of the early 60s light comedies of Doris Day and, most often, Rock Hudson everyone just totally misses the mark. Whether you liked those movies or not, there was always at least some chemistry between the two leads. Here there's nothing. Where there should be sparky interaction with snappy one-liners being traded there's just two smug individuals trotting out their bland unfunny lines. What is the point of Renee Zellweger's character anyway? Apparently nobody seems to know. Certainly not Miss Zellweger and certainly not the writers.My theory is that some industry types came up with this for a wheeze in the early hours at the end of a major binge and somehow it became a horrendous reality.I feel offended that people got paid to spawn this.

nic-of-time "Down With Love" is an unsung gem. Its comedy is very specific (i.e. spoofing 1960s America and the stereotype-laden Hollywood films of the era), but in that context it is brilliant. The costumes are funny. The sets are funny. The music (composed by Marc Shaiman and including songs by Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland) is funny. The dialogue is funny almost line by line. The faces the actors make (especially David Hyde Pierce in the role of Peter MacMannus) are funny. I have seen this film many many times and each time I discover new jokes, in addition to laughing at the ones I already know by heart.There is one scene that earns this film a 10/10 rating on its very own. Director Peyton Reed has rightfully called it the romantic-comedy equivalent of a car chase. I won't spoil it for you, but let me just say that it is the most hilarious use of a split-screen I have ever seen.The film also stars Renée Zellweger (Chicago) and Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge). It is not a musical, but there are several scenes where the actors look like they're seconds away from bursting into song. And stick around after the credits start rolling, you're in for a nice surprise.