Attractive people do bad things in this tone-deaf romantic comedy based on Emily Giffin's novel. Best friends since childhood, Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Darcy (Kate Hudson) share a well-worn dysfunctional relationship. Passive-aggressive Rachel lays down for Darcy's every hyper-aggressive action. Darcy is a charming bully who gets her way with a flip of her hair, a shake of her bottom, and a smile.
Stealing boyfriends is merely one of Darcy's long list of heartless character traits. Her self-professed greater need for sexual gratification over her best friend's meek libido is supposed to validate her actions. Flesh hits flesh when Darcy sets her sites on Rachel's romantically inclined law school classmate Dex (played by Tom Cruise look-alike Colin Egglesfield) at a Manhattan bar. Darcy openly co-opts Dex's and Rachel's date. Six years later, wedding vows loom for Dex and Darcy.
In this bubble of protracted romantic confusion everyone cheats on one another. If there's a tilt of expectation toward Rachel finally getting her unstated impractical way with Dex, it comes at a higher cost to someone else — her other best friend Ethan (John Krasinski) — as the only person around who genuinely cares about her. To glorify Rachel in her role as the story's backstabbing protagonist is an irresponsible act of authorship even though her just-deserts-punishment dares to give her what she wishes for.
As the adage goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Here you'll have to reach a decision about smiling cute characters without a jot of ethical sense. The filmmakers have already sized up their audience. They seem to think their viewers will be blinded to basic morality by the allure of beauty.
Rated PG-13. 103 mins.
