Jul 29, 2005 7:00 am US/Central
Must Love Dogs
Richard Roeper: "Rent It"
(CBS)
It's been 20 years since Evanston's John Cusack launched his film career with small parts in Chicago-made movies such as "Class" and "Sixteen Candles," and 15 years since his breakout role in "Say Anything." In "Must Love Dogs," Cusack is still looking for the perfect match.
"Must Love Dogs" is a very bad title that refers to the Internet ad placed by Diane Lane after her husband has dumped her for a younger woman. Right, because Diane Lane would have such trouble meeting men.
Cusack plays a variation on the intense, slightly eccentric but extremely sincere guy he's played in movies from "Say Anything" to "Serendipity" to "High Fidelity." But you can almost sense that Cusack the actor isn't a huge fan of this very mainstream Hollywood romance.
"Must Love Dogs" has a strong supporting cast and two enormously likable lead actors, but I just didn't buy the screenwriters' contrived attempts to keep them apart until the inevitable final scene.
Rated PG-13, "Must Love Dogs" is a thoroughly pleasant, thoroughly predictable romantic comedy. You can wait to Rent It.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
