Laws of Attraction

Reviewed by EWAN McDONALD

(Herald rating: *)



Strait-laced Audrey Woods and charming chancer Daniel Rafferty are successful New York divorce lawyers. Neither has lost a case until they have to face down one another. When we add that this is a romantic comedy (for movie buffs, one based heavily on one of the best, the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy classic Adam's Rib, by Sliding Doors director Peter Howitt), you'll know what to expect.

Audrey (Julianne Moore) lives in the shadow of her beautiful - or beautified -mum (Frances Fisher). Rafferty (Pierce Brosnan) has a lifestyle reminiscent of Brosnan's other character, James Bond.

Both are still single when they are hired by the opposite sides of a high-profile divorce case. Audrey represents rock star Thorne Jamison (Michael Sheen) while Rafferty is appearing for the wife, fashion designer Serena (Parker Posey), your honour.

And both will, because this is a rom-com, hate each other on sight. The case will hinge on who gets the castle in Ireland, which will provide the film-makers with the opportunity for some location shooting across the sea and the chance to inject some Celtic stereotypes into the picture.

After a night of binge drinking at a town festival, they wake up in bed to find themselves married. To save their reputations back in New York, they pretend to be a real couple.

Will it end happily ever after or will they need to hire their own divorce lawyers? Couldn't possibly ruin it for you.

The DVD people know that the people who watch rom-coms generally don't bother with all the hoop-la of bonus features, so the disappointing disc version contains a rather washed-out version of the movie plus some deleted scenes, including an alternative ending.

DVD, video rental out now