Dir: Marc Lawrence

Conflicting press speculation aside (pre-Christmas it was all re-shoots and gloom, now it’s the happy couple) and the big push as “funniest comedy of the year” (it’s February and there haven’t been any others yet) Two Weeks Notice is a fascinating watch. Quite simply it is relentlessly unfunny, unconvincing and just plain poor.

Sandra Bullock is the “lawyer with a cause” trying to prevent nasty big companies from tearing down community based architectural heritage sites. Hugh Grant is the stupidly rich guy whose company does just that. He needs a lawyer to defend his divorce proceedings and being a caring Politically Correct guy he is he only chooses female lawyers who he fancies. SB is the apparent exception. She gets a $250,000 pay packet to do work with the company and at the same time protect the buildings she loves. And they have a hate-hate relationship. And there’s some poignant double crossing and blah blah blah.

Where does one begin to describe what is so bad about this film? First up the leads – there is no chemistry between them at all. Hugh tries to be a cross between Prince Charles and Tony Blair while Sandra’s Audrey Hepburn impersonation (the Sabrina style party scene a particularly galling moment) is embarrassing. Then there’s the editing -the most important aspect of comedy – it’s all over the place and appears either rushed or performed by a blindfolded toddler wearing boxing gloves. Then there’s the soundtrack – horrible versions of Yellow Taxi drown the dialogue and the “oh so clever” use of counterpoint is irritating beyond belief – they go in a helicopter, the soundtrack plays “Come Fly With Me”. Sledgehammer. Nut. If this were a straight-to-video rom-com you’d stick sellotape over the tabs and record something better over it. I laughed more in Scary Movie 2 and that is saying something. Lame, tired, bad film-making. Could go on… but won’t, the experience is too harrowing to recall.