The story is so busy with all its various strands that we can hardly pay attention to anything really. There's no centre to the story, besides the heavy-handed message about settling down for What's Really Important. Otherwise it's spinning out in all directions encompassing parent-child issues, siblings, romantic histories, on-off relationships, and just a whiff of the racial issues involved. For a comedy it's far too serious; for a romance it's far too fragmented; for an ethnic drama it's far too unfocussed. So why was the film even made? (The bigger question is why it's getting a UK release!) Yes, it's all very slickly filmed in that anonymous Hollywood style, with a cast of gorgeous actors who don't really need to act when they look so pretty. But it just feels utterly pointless and unnecessary, especially when the schmaltz surges up and drowns everything at the end.

adult themes and situations, language

25.Sep.01