Shallow Hal

Review by By Clint Morris

Riddled with cheekiness yet sugarcoated with syrupy sweetness, Shallow Hal is a return to form for infamous mud-dirt comedy makers, The Farrelly's. Compared to a food, the previous movies of the Farrellys would be a Brussels sprout. Somewhat bearable on the outside, but the inside is an undeniably yuk. Obviously taking a different route through the supermarket, the boys have picked up an almost ripe punnet of strawberries this time, which although not as well rounded as could be, is still a lot more enjoyable than previous plucking. Especially when coated with dollops of cream.

"Hot young tail, That's what it's all about," says young Hal's father from his death bed before making his son promise to only chase hot women. -- "That was the tragic mistake I made with your mother."

Naturally Hal grows up to follow the counsel, and when we meet him, and friend Maurico (Jason Alexander) they're skirt-chasing the sexiest of femme fatales around the dance floor. Enter self-help guru Tony Robins.
Stuck in the work elevator, Hal is forced to listen to the infamous guru and allows himself to be hypnotized. From now on, Hal will only see the inner beauty of women. Regardless of whether they are uglier than a neon pink sportscar.

Enter, enormously large woman, Rosemary (Paltrow in a fat suit), she thinks Hal is poking fun at her 300 pound frame. Instead, he's on the level. He only see's a beautiful leggy blonde, no the less attractive heavyweight others do. And so, love blossoms.

Shallow Hal, like the Farrelly Brothers recent films, still has it's share of smutty gags, shock jokes and sex ticklers - but it's toned down marginally. If Me Myself and Irene was set to a smut decibel of 11, Shallow Hal is on a steady 2. The main problem people will have with the film though is the way it perceives women. It's essentially saying that there are only two types of women, the big fat woman or ugly woman with a heart of gold or the gorgeous sexpot with half a brain. I know for a fact that a beautiful woman can still can as smart as Newton. Still, I'll go along with it if it's an entertaining ride. And for the most part, it is.

Unlike the previous films, The Farrelly's cultivate a heart here. They show real compassion in some scenes - especially in some key scenes involving ailing children at a hospital burns unit. They could have, and I assumed would have, gone in a totally different direction here, but mercifully they've been blessed with warmness for the film's extent.

Paltrow is stunning. Not just beauty wise - which she evidently is in skinny-Rosemary mode - but in acting stakes. Like Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary, she's been thrown a real obscure bone here and has bitten into it with intrigue and bewilderment. She's a marvel as the overtly large Rosemary, so much so that at times it feels like that is a different person on screen.

In the lead, Jack Black - most recently seen in the abominable stinker Evil Woman - is minutely charming, but appropriate as Hal. He's at ease in his first leading role, obviously assured that it's not his last. Thirdly, Jason Alexander, of Seinfeld fame, proves there's life after George by turning in a suitably loopy performance as Hal's objectionable honey-hunter pal. Just wait til you find out what skeleton he's hiding in his closet.

If you're going to sit and squabble for hours after the flick about the fat and thin argument - which I witnessed two women did after the screening I went too - don't go. If you're going to go hoping to have a couple of laughs and see something ingeniously different, then stroll up to this one.

3 out of 5

Shallow Hal
Australian release: Now Showing
Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Jason Alexander, Rene Kirby, Susan Ward, Tony Robbins.
Director: Bobby & Peter Farrelly.
Website: Click here

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