Hitch

A witty but gossamer thin romantic comedy, buoyed immeasurably by Will Smith's boundless charm. Smith plays the title character, who has made a career out of helping clueless guys win over the women of their dreams. Into his life comes Albert (played by an excellent Kevin James), a heavyset accountant, hopelessly smitten with a rich client (Amber Valetta). It seems impossible, but Hitch likes the challenge; this romance will be his "Sistine chapel." Meanwhile, Hitch himself encounters the lovely but brittle Sara, played by Eva Mendes. After some wary romantic sparring, these two must come to realize that, yes, it is OK to let down the defenses and fall in love. The movie is well executed and very funny at times. The talented cast helps us ignore the utter implausibility of almost everything that happens. New York City looks great, and even the newspaper romance-column quality of its observations about life and love do not detract from our enjoyment. I'm still trying to decide whether this movie is sexist; if it is, I can't quite figure out whether it demeans men or women more. I suppose that the fact that by the end it doesn't really matter is as good a measure as any of the movie's success.