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Monster-in-Law (2005)
Director: Robert Luketic
Movie review
From Time Out London
Given Jennifer Lopez’s recent record, you’d think Jane Fonda might have postponed the comeback rather than risk a joint venture; neverthless the two team up for this mother-in-law comedy without the mother-in-law jokes. Lopez plays supposedly ordinary Charlie, who meets supposedly attractive doctor Kevin (Michael Vartan), who has a supposedly controlling mother, Viola (Fonda). Deciding to scare off her future daughter-in-law, Viola fakes mental instability and moves in. There’s potential for humour in some of her methods – such as smacking Charlie in the face while feigning nightmarish sleep – but with poor timing, jerky editing and a lack of strong comic actors, this fails to deliver a punch. And while Fonda has a certain gravitas, Lopez does little to make her character more sympathetic. With its cumbersome plot and clumsy humour, ‘Monster-in-Law’ belongs in the lower ranks of ‘Meet the Parents’ rip-offs.Author: AS
Time Out London Issue 1812: May 11-18 2005
User reviews of this film
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- Giuseppe Paolo Mazzarello said...
- Posted on Oct 10 2009 10:21 A doctor asks a dog sitter girl: 'Could you take me for a stroll?' Paraphrasing Alessandro Manzoni: 'And the unlucky girl answered.' They get engaged and a mother-in-law suddenly appears. The two women seem to quarrel, but are made of the same stuff, and for each other as well.
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Cast & crew
Director: Robert Luketic
Producer: Paula Weinstein, Chris Bender
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes, Adam Scott full cast
Duration: 101 mins
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