Something Borrowed

Review by Sean Lynch

In the world of cinema - as audiences - we should crave constant evoloution. New ideas, new ways of looking at genres. Well, that's what we'd like to think. However, at the end of the day, the truth is simple : familiar is our friend.

This is never more apparent than with Something Borrowed - a title which sums up the film perfectly - as it borrows a little bit of everything from some of the most successful rom-coms.

Is it original? No. Is that a bad thing when it comes to Rom-Coms? Hell no!

Something Borrowed follows the plight of Rachel White (serial rom-com offender, Ginnifer Goodwin) as she waits to enter her 30th birthday party and the fact that she can't seem to escape the feeling that her life has not turned out like she thought it would.

Sure, she has a good job at a prestigious Manhattan law firm (isn't every rom-com starlet one these days - when they're not busy being a "hard working TV producer" of course), but she works long hours and her boss is a tyrant.

Rachael, of course, has her childhood best friend (the beautiful and vivacious Darcy - played by Kate Hudson, who is contractually obliged to appear in every rom-com until the end of time itself), but seeing her flirt with her handsome fiancé is just another reminder that at the end of the party - like every other night - she’ll be going home alone.

Except this time... she doesn't!

Yep, good ol' plain Jane Rachel wakes up the following morning next to Dex (Colin Egglesfield), her law school study partner... and Darcy’s fiancé (who said casual sex was dead!). Both of them are horrified - how could they let this happen?

Rachel tries to move on with the support of school friend Ethan (The Office's John Krasinski), but as the wedding approaches she begins to realise that it wasn't a mistake after all, and maybe Darcy isn't the friend she thought she was.

Now Rachel has to make a painful choice: her best friend or the love of her life?

Cue love lorn dilemmas, some teary moments and plenty of farcical "let's not let anyone find out" moments.

Krasinski delivers his usual levels of cutesey charm, proving once again that he is the modern day "every man" that Hugh Grant never quite managed to pull off in the 1990s during his reign as the king of rom-coms.

It's cheesier than a Pizza Hut Deep Pan Supreme, and if you've ever seen a romantic comedy before you'll have seen all the tricks a millions times before - but it's exactly the meal the audience wants and gets.

You'll know if this movie is for you simply by looking at the poster.

3 out of 5

Something Borrowed
Australian release: 5th May, 2011
Official Site: Something Borrowed
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, Steve Howey, John Krasinski
Director: Luke Greenfield