Review - I Could Never Be Your Woman

I Could Never be Your Woman starring Paul Rudd and Michelle Pfeiffer went through the ringer before it was finally released straight to DVD. The Amy Heckerling (Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) comedy was the victim of multiple instances of studio bureaucracy but now people are finally getting to see it, which is a good thing because its one of the funniest films in recent memory. The story follows an older TV producer (Pfeiffer) who falls in love with the (much) younger new star (Rudd) of her gloriously bad TV show.
The film opens with Mother Nature (Tracy Ullman) ranting about "those damn baby boomers" and everything that they have done to the planet. She tells us that her revenge is the aging process, which surely connects to the age difference in Pfeiffer and Rudd's characters somehow, although it is never really made clear. This is the one major flaw in the film, the inclusion of this character. She is completely uneccessary, although usually enjoyable. It would have been more effective to have the doubt that she causes in Pfeiffer's character to be organic and to come from within than from some dumpy, awkward personification of Mother Nature.
Aside from this one serious mis-fire, the film succeeds tremendously in being original and funny. Although sometimes it seems more like a sketch comedy show than a movie, the myriad of subplots eventually work their way together, though the payoff is not always as great as promised. The storyline with the conniving assistant especially seems to fall short, resulting in a rather lackluster catfight that is only enjoyable for the Catwoman that Pfeiffer proves still lives inside her.
Many of these minor problems can probably be attributed to the loss of certain scenes, reported in Entertainment Weekly, when the studio mishandled the original prints. However, even if there was no storyline, this movie would be immensely enjoyable. Finally, we've been given a film that lets Paul Rudd loose. There is one sequence where he dances for nearly two minutes, switching rapidly between breakdancing, line dancing and disco, among others, before finally ending up slowdancing with Pfeiffer. The chemistry between the two is noticeable and you cant help but feel that the two had a ton of fun together while filming. Both exhibit a quirky, rambunctious personality that completely removes the cheese-fest that exists in most movies in this genre. Their acting, like their characters, is very simple and because of this is simply enjoyable.
The peripheral cast turns in excellent performances as well, adding to the charm of the film in a way that is completely unexpected. Of particular note is Saoirse Ronan, who plays Pfeiffer's daughter Izzie and consistently provides laughs whether it be from her detailed analysis of Barbie's psychological disorders ("Remember when Ken had Alzheimers and ended up in the heating vent?!") or from her inspired pop-culture parodies of Britney Spears and Alanis Morrisette songs lambasting young Hollywood stars.
This movie channels the same quirky charm as Billy Kent's The OH in Ohio and succeeds on the same grounds. It's enjoyable, strangely believable and ultimately very satisfying. Bonus: It is the latest (actually the earliest) in a string of fantastic performance from Pfeiffer since she returned to the big screen and will restore any faith in Paul Rudd lost during the 2-hour debacle , Over Her Dead Body.