p.s.

It's not that I didn't love the exquisitely awkward sex scene between Columbia admissions officer Louise (Laura Linney) and artstar F. Scott (Topher Grace), it's that the rest of the movie did nothing to live up to that realism. Dialogue like "I'm the one who's in shock--waking up next to your brililant face!" recalled the failings of Star Wars more closely than the awkwardness of reality as captured in all these postmodern zoom outs a la the films of Todd Solondz.

Yet this film does a lot for the canon of chick flicks, for once there's a woman in complete control, and a guy who's not not that into her. He's really really really into her. And perhaps that's what's unrealistic: she says nothing to him, she does nothing to charm young Toph, she's all blonde hair and tumbling breasts. What does this woman do that's so lovable? And besides the whole Birth vibe of F. Scott (he shares a name, a passion, and a face with her old flame), he does nothing but parade naked around the apartment to win her--if, in fact, he does. I would accept the shallowness at face value if the film addmitted it, but something here smirks of a grand love affair, a weight given to the whole thing that it doesn't deserve. Topher must be up to his arms in Rosalinds, and this Columbia admissions officer seems just another girl.

Still—please catch that third scene.