The Best Friend character is crucial to any self-respecting rom-com. He/she is the guy/gal our leads need to figure out they’re really in love.
In “What Happens in Vegas,” now out on DVD, the Best Friends do something more – they save the movie from disaster.
“Vegas” stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz as a couple who meet, get drunk and find themselves hitched after one bleary-eyed night in Sin City. Before they agree to an annulment, they hit the jackpot – $3 million bucks courtesy of a slot machine.
But when they try to get legally split, a persnickety judge (Dennis Miller) forces them to live as man and wife for six months. Why? Because the judge is sick of these quickie marriages, and a film like this needs an extra layer of gimmickry to exist.
So our pretty leads do their best “War of the Roses” impersonation so that the other will bow out of the marriage first – and give up rights to the three mil.
Diaz and Kutcher create a laugh-free zone in this decidedly unpleasant rom-com, but their best pals serve up plenty of good cheer. Rob Corddry, so painful in the new “Harold & Kumar” feature, is a hoot as Kutcher’s best bud. And Diaz’s faithful friend, Lake Bell, is nearly as good. Their behind-the-scenes machinations give “What Happens in Vegas” some sinfully funny moments. And stick around during the credits to get a visual definition of the phrase “junk punch.”
Other bit players also distract us from the Kutcher/Diaz pairing. Miller’s character delivers a moment of zen in this otherwise frantic comedy, serving up some terrific line readings in the process.
“What Happens in Vegas” is saved from rom-com infamy thanks to the actors who don’t appear on the poster.
(Photo: Ashton Kutcher gets more than he bargained for in the comedy romance “What Happens in Vegas”)
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