Life As We Know It

All the snobby film classes and prestigious critics aside, I am confident enough to admit that I like the occasionally predictable romantic comedy. I've also decided that calling these films "rom coms" is just annoying enough to be entertaining.

So here we go, Life As We Know It, a wonderful rom com. Let me start off by saying that I think Katherine Heigl (you know the one who constantly plays the control freak who is looking for the sensible doctor but falls for the messy screwball instead) should not be in the film industry. I have never like her movies, and I liked this one in spite of her. However, this was the first time I actually believed her on-screen romance. The man she forced to settle down with her this time was Josh Duhamel, who's performance, once again, relied on his charm and physique. Apparently the producers weren't sure that was even enough so they nicknamed him "Messer." Get it? He's a mess...

However, despite these two mediocre actors, something about this movie was just really good. I mean, throw a baby into the mix and you automatically have more potential than all of the other Katherine Heigl movies combined...oh wait, Knocked Up. Well, this time the baby wasn't inside the less-than-endearing-control-freak psycho so it was much more of a help than a hinderance.

Basically, Holly (Katherine) and Messer are the two best friends of a couple who gets killed in a car crash. The couple's year old daughter, Sophie, is left in their care, though they can't stand each other. But it is impossible to imagine the two even taking a second to consider leaving this baby after watching her for more than a minute. Played by 18-month-old Alexis Clagett, her facial expressions and body language provide more than enough of the "awwww" factor that this movie was going for.

To give the film credit, it really does show the evolution between Holly and Messer's characters. Their relationship is so much more believable than Heigl and Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth (though I wrote no review, heed this warning: DON'T GO). In Heigl movies it often feels like the leading male has to force the relationship that a real-life person would never want. I guess this is because I've never felt any sort of connection or sympathy toward her. But congratulations Kathy, this time you win! I really felt sorry for these two characters who lost their best friends and became parents in the same day.

Now for those of you out there reading this and groaning, let me say this; yes, you can watch the preview and know what is going to happen, but I still don't think that this one should be written off. It's funny, has great supporting actors (the quirky, lovable neighbors and the emotional social worker), has a cute baby and even a believable romance. I'd say a solid B.