Film: 'Imagine Me And You' Catching A Different Movie This Weekend

The critical and Oscar success of 'Brokeback Mountain', 'Capote', and 'Transamerica' gives Austinist hope for gay-themed films reaching mass audiences. In the midst of this great run comes 'Imagine Me And You', a rather transparent attempt to try the Hugh Grant London-style romantic comedy with a surprising gay twist. Suffice to say that writer/director Ol Parker has seriously misfired with this one.

While any romantic comedy features its share of stock characters, silly miscommunications, and sappy endings, 'Imagine Me And You' fails from the beginning because of the absurdity of the premise. The upshot is that straight woman Rachel (Piper Perabo of Coyote Ugly) spots rumpled lesbian florist Luce (Lena Headey) while WALKING DOWN THE AISLE of her wedding, falls head over heels in love, and complications ensue. The whole film rests on the premise that one quick glance could change someone's sexuality, and the muttering Austinist heard at our showing makes us feel we're not alone in our skepticism (you can practically hear the Christian right yelling "See, it's all just a lifestyle choice of sinners!" Great.)

The script also defeats itself by having the cuckolded new husband (Matthew Goode, also cheated on recently in Match Point) be by far the most charming and likeable character in the entire film. You are actually hoping for the romance to fail instead of succeed! We're guessing this was not the filmmaker's intention. The pointless inclusion of a precocious, advice-spinning child also kills any chance that this film might reach the heights of a 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' date movie classic. Actually, it also kills the chance that you won't be bashing your head into the seat in front of you while cursing the inanity of this film. In short, avoid it.