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Driven by Elizabeth Olsen’s mesmerising lead performance, this languid and unsettling story buries deep into your mind

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Did You Hear About The Morgans? (Film)

by Alicia Malone | December 22, 2009 18:12 | Edited December 23, 2009 15:37

Not even the inspired pairing of rom-com faves Grant and Jessica Parker can save this leaden effort.

It's been two years since Hugh Grant has graced our cinema screens, in 2007's Music and Lyrics. Now he's back, re-teaming with the same writer director Marc Lawrence for yet another romantic comedy - Did You Hear About The Morgans?

 

As usual, Hugh Grant plays Hugh Grant; but this time his character is Paul Morgan, a New York lawyer desperately trying to patch things up with his real estate agent wife Meryl (Sarah Jessica Parker).

 

They arrange, through their personal assistants, to have dinner and talk. But on the walk back to their respective homes, they witness a murder, and because the murderer witnesses them, the FBI send the Morgans into protective custody in Wyoming.

 

Safely tucked away in a small town, they are introduced to a more simple life by their host family - the local sheriff Clay (Sam Elliott) and his gun-loving wife Emma (Mary Steenburgen) - and slowly the Morgans begin to trust each other again.

 

There are a few genuinely funny moments in this fish out of water story, it is amusing to see Hugh Grant dressed up as a cowboy, but it feels like we've seen this predictable story before. Most of the jokes are delivered very heavy-handedly, and when they fall flat, the pauses for laughter become big awkward silences.

 

Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker are both highly skilled in the romantic comedy genre. On screen they make a pleasant enough combination, but lack the chemistry needed for the audience to really care whether their characters rekindle their love or not.

 

The rest of the cast is made up of great actors, who do their best, but not even the likes of Sam Elliott can save Did You Hear About The Morgans? from being a largely forgettable romantic comedy.