Directed by: Mark WatersStarring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Amanda Walsh
Running Time: 1h 40min
There's something about Matthew McConaughey that just allows him to click with many a female lead. In Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, his umpteenth romantic comedy, all with similar premises, character traits, settings, occupations, etc., the list goes on and on, McConaughey manages to pull off another decent, likable rom com. This time around he gets a lot of help from the very likable Garner, who has a way of retaining her dignity in less than stellar roles and films. She is every bit McConaughey's equal and adds an element of decency and integrity to the movie.
Two decent leads does not a good movie make, and the supporting cast listed above are what finally bring this movie above passing for me. Chabert and Walsh are funny enough, in a bizarre train wreck sort of way, but it's Michael Douglas stealing the show, relishing his golden years in a ghostly performance that evokes his best roles as a philandering Hefnerite. Meyer and Forster are always reliable, decent actors in their own right, and with a cast that's performing up to par, the movie does not slide into formulaic staleness. It's more of a freshly baked formula; a familiar taste with a subtle elegance to it. Sure, the plot is telegraphed from start to finish, and the lines can be seen from a mile away, but when you have actors like these delivering it all, it makes it worth the while. Somewhat worth the while.
Grade: C
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