Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - 31st July 2012

And here we are with our last Tuesday Night is Film Night before our summer break. And ironically, tonights' film, is a twist on an old Christmas classic. So will it be "deck the halls" or will Charles Dickens be spinning in his grave, as we settle down to watch;

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

So, you may guess from the title, that Ghosts of Girlfriends Past takes it's ideas from the Dickens' classic; A Christmas Carol. As womanising, serial philanderer and devout batchelor Connor Mead (played by the drawling Matthew McConaughey), attempts to right the wrongs of his past life, when he is visited by the requisite three ghosts, on the eve of his brother's wedding.

Mead's love interest, takes the form of Jenny Perotti, played the always gorgeous Jennifer Garner.
Jenny and Connor are childhood sweethearts, until Jenny goes off with another boy at the school dance. Conner is distraught and turns to the doyen of love, his womanising Uncle Wayne! Who is played by inimitable Michael Douglas. Together they forge a lifestyle for the young Connor that leads him through relationship after relationship, settling for the option of casual sex, rather than the temptation of love and longterm relationship.

So that sets the scene for the film and we know the story, as it follows the same thread as A Christmas Carol;

Connor Mead, wicked man (in the love sense), needs to repent and mend his ways. He's sent three (four if you count his now dead Uncle Wayne), ghosts to assist.

And yes, it all comes good in the end. There are some nice twists and some funny moments. And it's your run of the mill rom-com, with a feelgood twist.

The downsides for me, were the awful southern drawl that "the McConaughey" spouts, I know it's his accent, but it's not endearing and can grate somewhat.

Also, throughout the film the "Steadi-cam" operator, wasn't holding the camera very steady! There seems to be a bit of a thing for handheld camera work in some modern movies, but when they wave it around the place, it can induce motion sickness!!

All in all, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, is a jolly, albeit predictable jaunt.

Enjoy!