Imagine Me and You

Herald rating: * *

Imagine Me and You is a mainstream British romantic comedy with a twist. Written and directed by Oliver Parker, well known for his adaptations of Oscar Wilde's work (An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Ernest), this modern-day love triangle might not have quite the wit or flair of Wilde, yet is still riddled with charming, understated British humour.

The film explores the idea of love at first sight. It kicks off at the wedding of perfect young couple Rachel (Perabo) and Heck (Goode), where Rachel catches the eye of the wedding florist, Luce (Headey) during the ceremony.

Now I've been to a few weddings and I don't recall meeting the florist, but Luce, casually attired, happily hangs out for the duration of the reception, also catching the eye of Heck's best man, Cooper.

Rachel strikes up a friendship with Luce, in order to set her up with Cooper, but Luce is far more interested in Rachel. For a film about love at first sight, Rachel and Luce certainly take their time considering their attraction to each other.

There's no sex, no real passion in this romantic comedy, but there is a lot of politeness and people talking about doing the right thing. Even as Heck realises his wife is thinking of having an affair, he takes it all in his stride. You don't normally go to a romantic comedy for a dose of realism, and, rest assured, you won't get it here.

Matthew Goode, also currently staring in Woody Allen's Match Point, comes across as the most eye-catching of this good-looking cast. Smart, charming, refined, and self-deprecating, he's got a touch of the foppish Hugh Grant about him and I imagine most females viewing this film will be more concerned about Heck than whether the girl gets the girl.

Imagine Me and You should be congratulated for bringing same-sex relationships into mainstream film, but regardless of who is in this love triangle the film lets itself down by following a romantic comedy formula too closely. It is too eager to please the audience, and all those amusing one-liners aren't enough to make this film more than a wet afternoon's distraction.

CAST: Piper Perabo, Matthew Goode, Lena Headey, Anthony Head, Eva Birthistle
DIRECTOR: Oliver Parker
RUNNING TIME: 94 minutes
RATING: M (Offensive language & sexual references)
SCREENING: Village and Berkeley cinemas