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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Smith proves comedic talent once again in fresh film

Will Smith is best known for his light-hearted comedic style in film and television. While he is capable of versatility, comedy is certainly his forte."Hitch" is the latest installment of Smith's comedic film roles. All the hype preceding the release of this movie is well deserved, which is rare these days in Hollywood. Movies that are greatly anticipated generally fall short of their ambitions. "Hitch" proves to be an exception to the rule.In this film, Smith combines his comedic talent with that of Kevin James, the lead character in the television show, "The King of Queens." "Hitch" grabs the audience's attention right from the beginning and does not lose it at any point. The two actors, along with Eva Mendes, have excellent comedic chemistry, and they fit perfectly into their respective character roles. "Hitch" is a definite must see for the new year.Smith plays Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, the Date Doctor. Hitch helps those men who are desperately in love with women they consider out of their league. He teaches them how to be smooth and interesting so they can win over their respective love interests. Albert, played by James, is a chubby, mid-level financial advisor who is desperately in love with Allegra (Amber Valetta), an heiress with her own foundations and money coming out of her ears. Albert hires Hitch to help him woo her. On his own, Albert feels completely undesirable and certainly does not have the confidence to make himself noticeable, much less to ask her out. Albert is quite a challenge for Hitch. But despite the presumed downfalls of Albert's rather clumsy and exaggerated attempts to get her to notice him, Allegra does indeed become interested in Albert. While Hitch is helping Albert win over the woman of his dreams, he finds his own in the film's narrative. On his first encounter with Sara, played by Mendes, Hitch plays his usual tricks and manages to catch her attention. When they actually start going on dates, however, Hitch becomes just like every man that he helps - anything but smooth and suddenly accident-prone. The real comic value of this movie comes from the disastrous events that occur for the two leading men as they date their dream women. Along the way, Hitch learns it is often those disastrous events and clumsy moments that make men more endearing to women and help them figure out if they do love the man they are dating.The screenplay for "Hitch" is hilarious, and first-time screenplay writer Kevin Bisch deserves praise for his successful foray into screenwriting. Director Andy Tennant, who has directed such films as "Sweet Home Alabama," "Fools Rush In" and "Ever After," did a great job working with the actors and creating seemingly perfect comedic scenes that leave the audience in stitches. Finally, the actors and actresses chosen for this film could not possibly have fit their roles any better, and the character development makes watching "Hitch" very enjoyable.If you are in the mood to laugh and watch a couple of men make fools out of themselves for the women they love, the movie to see this month is "Hitch."