Animal Attraction ** (2001, Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, Ellen Barkin) – Classic Movie Review 1973

Director Tony Goldwyn’s 2001 romantic comedy stars Ashley Judd as Jane Goodale, a TV producer and talent scout of a popular daytime talk show, who is unexpectedly jilted by her boyfriend, the show’s dashing executive producer Ray (Greg Kinnear).

Jane then begins researching male behaviour to discover what makes men tick and uses her Casanova-like co-worker and house-sharer Eddie (Hugh Jackman) as a guinea pig. She writes a sexist column accusing all men of being cheaters, which gains her national fame.

Good acting by the strong, appealing cast and handsome filming lift a flatly written, shakily handled comedy, largely wasting its neat premise.

Judd is outstanding, while Jackman, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei and Ellen Barkin are all excellent. Elizabeth Chandler bases her screenplay on the novel Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman. The film is also known as Someone Like You.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1973

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/