Film

Made of Honor (2008)

Director: Paul Weiland

Movie review

From Time Out Chicago

Shouldn’t a chick flick this misogynistic cancel itself out and implode, thus sparing us the indignity of suffering through another predictable, emotionally barren “speak now or forever hold their peace” moment? If only that were the low point of this inept, joyless exercise.

Dempsey stars as Tom, the idly rich doucheknuckle we’re supposed to root for because he’s the star. Except Tom obviously hates women—he has rules about only seeing any given woman once a week, not committing to anyone, only dating the most vacant idiots possible, etc.—so his alleged moment of clarity in which he decides he’s in love with longtime pal Hannah is more frightening than anything else. Run, Hannah. Stick with that loving, thoughtful Scottish prince you found, not the manipulative manchild you’ve watched slut his way through the last decade.

Insubstantial characters and a plot that may as well be a series of establishing shots do little to mask the film’s main theme: Women Are Stupid. Thus nothing could be more humiliating, or a better source of humor, than a man doing traditionally female activities like planning parties, making gift baskets and hating fat girls. Also, sometimes people think Tom’s gay. You know, because he does all that gay stuff. Ha ha.

Romantic comedies don’t need to cure cancer or alter the face of cinema forever, but Made’s complete lack of ambition and originality takes the film from the simply lazy category to downright insulting.