Search - Down With Love [Widescreen]

Director Peyton Reed and screenwriters Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake pay homage to the frothy romantic comedies of the early '60s -- in particular the Doris Day/Rock Hudson vehicles -- in this light-hearted and affectionate spoof. Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger) is a sweet but savvy small-town librarian who has arrived in New York City with big plans to take on the town. Embracing a feminist philosophy years before it becomes common or fashionable, Novak writes a book called "Down With Love," in which she presents her theory that romantic relationships cause more problems than they solve for women, and urges women to focus instead on what will truly make them happy -- self-reliance, a solid career, and a healthy sex life (or chocolate if the latter is unavailable at the moment). Almost overnight, "Down With Love" becomes a minor scandal and a major bestseller, but not every man is America is happy with the new breed of liberated (and demanding) women spawned by the book's success, and Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), a lady-killing bachelor who writes for Know Magazine, decides to put Novak to the test. Posing as a shy, retiring type, Block is determined to make Novak fall in love with him, and then share the details with the world through an article in Know. Block's editor Peter MacMannus (David Hyde-Pierce) thinks this is a splendid idea, but to Block's distress, he discovers himself developing real feelings for Novak. Down With Love also features Tony Randall, who significantly appeared in three films with Rock Hudson and Doris Day. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Renée Zellweger - Barbara Novak
Ewan McGregor - Catcher Block
Sarah Paulson - Vikki Hiller
David Hyde Pierce - Peter MacManus
Rachel Dratch

Due in large part to it opening the same weekend as The Matrix Reloaded, Down With Love, Peyton Reed's knowing homage to the Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies, found little traction at the box office. This woefully underappreciated film gets a superb DVD release from 20th Centurey Fox that will hopefully help it find the audience it richly deserves. The film is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The colors in this film popped off the screen and the transfer has expertly captured their vibrancy. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary recorded by director Reed. He is full of praise for his hard-working cast, and delivers a ceaseless series of anecdotes about how his film is similar to and different from the films it is paying homage to. Deleted scenes, with optional director commentary, a series of making-of featurettes, a gag reel, and a making-of special that originally aired on HBO round out this excellent package. The icing on the cake is the music video for "Here's To Love," the song number performed by stars Ewan McGreggor and Renée Zellweger. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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