Love & the City

This TV movie is a cross between Sex and the City, Legally Blonde and Bridget Jones Diary.

Hilary Duff gets hired by Cosmopolitan magazine to write an article about finding true love by finding the right man in the corporate workplace. Duff goes undercover at a finance company. However she is unqualified to be a PA, she has lied in her CV, acts like a 16 year old high school student and it's a wonder that she has not been fired on her first day.

Like Legally Blonde her charm sees her through but the film has a shallow and silly premise. There is a side plot where she is attracted to a British executive and her boss is uptight but has plans to save the company money by going green.

Its an unashamed and cynical chick flick aimed at younger females and even they would think its too far fetched.

Where do I begin? This movie won a People's Choice nomination in 2010 for BEST FAMILY MOVIE!?! Say what? I am the last person in the world to want movies that reflect some artificial moral code - but this is misleading to parents who do feel that way. Lane, our heroine, lies, cheats, betrays her friend, has sex with someone she hardly knows repeatedly - and is really turned on by make-up sex. Personally, I think that's cool - but just a very odd heroine for a family movie.

That said, to me the movie itself played a lot like Sex and the City for the 20-something set. There is good girlfriend chemistry between the photographer, model, and Lane as they play cards with male torsos, etc., and joke about their guilty pleasures. As a movie, I found this sporadically amusing with a few of the photographer bits and one office bit very funny. I thought the friends did an excellent job doing their things. The film was well-paced, and there was some funny dialog. The acting in most of the supporting roles is fine - especially the affable Tom who must've had to work hard to say his lines with a straight face and still pull them all. Jaime Presley who plays Cosmo Editor Kate does likewise.

Obviously, as others have pointed out, the plot contrivances themselves regarding how she gets the Cosmo Story Assignment and how she gets the investment banking job are ridiculous - but what else is new in most comedies. You suspend your disbelief to accept the premise. That's OK with me.

So, Executive Producer Hilary Duff did a better-than-average job in putting together a Sex and the City for the 20-something set but not a family movie. Lead actress Duff is an abomination. Even given her character's moral wavering and hypocrisy, her dialog was still written well enough, she could've been a 20-something Carrie Bradshaw (narration, shoes, and all). Carrie has certainly had such lapses and we cheer when she looks in the mirror, learns, and leaps forward.

Not here, unfortunately. Duff was engaging child actress but she if this is representative work, she is gosh-awful as an adult. Her comic timing is off; her dialog reads project more than the hammiest emoters I have ever seen on stage; and her expressions do not connect with the interaction of her fellow actors.

Still, I was in a good mood and the plastic-wrap scene itself was funny enough so I gave it a 5. Ms. Duff should stick to producing and find another leading lady. Perhaps she can do a cameo.

Lame gets what lame wants. The result is this film. I guess lame is an understatement, but I fare poorly in grammar. So pardon me.

I wouldn't even call it a chick flick, because it is not. It is much lamer, cheesier, and uninteresting. Miss Congeniality is a chick flick, even Confessions of a Shopaholic is a chick flick, but this film is just not. This film is an epic failure! I tried to be very subjective, meaning to say that I tried not to link her with her previous acting in Lizzie McGuire. But try as I might, I just can't help it. This film smacks of that Lizzie McGuire that Hillary Duff just can't shake off her acting. I watched her previous film, According to Greta and I liked it the film because she do away from her usual acting, but in this film, she is the exact copy of her acting in Lizzie McGuire.

I am very disappointed in this film, with the lack of substance, and sans creativity. A two is the best, and it solely based on the lead actor who managed to pull up something to salvage points for this otherwise abominable film.

'' Beauty And The Briefcase '' is a romantic comedy of the 2000's and has those vibes of an easy to watch movie. Sure, the plot isn't groundbreaking or even logical at times, but, for what it promises, it serves. It is light, it has its funny moments, it has some romance, some girlfriend action, an office setting, a magazine setting (of course it wouldn't have been a romantic comedy of the 2000's if it didn't), and some fluff.

The performances were good enough as well, as to support the story and deliver enjoyable characters.

The pace was okay too, though the ending was rushed and could have been handled better.

Lane (Hilary Duff) is a freelance writer, interested in fashion and writing feature articles for magazines catering to younger adult women. If she could pitch a story to Cosmo, and get accepted, that would be heaven. Happily, her roommate is a rising fashion photographer and SHE gets Lane an interview with a top Cosmo exec (Jaime Pressley). At first, the talk goes badly and Lane almost gets dismissed. But, thinking quickly, the two ladies begin to hatch an idea that springs from just "girl talk". What if Lane, who is looking for a man to match her "check list", goes undercover at an investment firm? Men are plentiful there and Lane can see if any of these gentlemen fulfill her list and, then, capture his heart. So, it begins. Lane fibs her way into a great job, through a creative resume and interview. She will be working for investor Tom (Michael McMillan) as a personal assistant with business savvy. Although a few hitches occur on her first day, Lane makes it through, once with the help of another gorgeous businessman, Seth. But, celebrating at a bar later, she meets a handsome English musician, Liam (Chris Carmack) who hits all of the qualities of her list, except one minor item. Oh, no! To complete her article, she has to concentrate on romancing a white-collar gent! But, Liam is so hot, he's sure to be a distraction! What's a poor girl to do, with eligible men at every turn? This is a darling romcom, sure to please every eager fans, like me. It's fun, its romantic and its charming. Duff makes a great leading lady and she looks terrific while McMillan, Carmack, Pressley, and all of the others support her well. The costumes are, as one can imagine, dreamy while the setting in Manhattan is always appealing. Add on a lively, comic script and a smooth direction and what do you get? In brief, sheer heaven, fans!