i just watched alex&emma. here's my post-review, albeit an extremely biased one:

Alex&Emma by Aaron Wong

What do you expect from a romantic comedy? Romance, laughs, and a happy ending.
Alex & Emma delivers on all counts. But only just.

Romantic comedies are common - too common. Thankfully, the movie has a few important ingredients that spice up an otherwise unfulfilling story.

I'll skip the synopsis; you can read that here.

Ingredients:

1 gorgeous actress

Kate Hudson carried her last movie (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), and she repeats her performance here. Her flooziness (some say it's hereditary) makes her so castable in ths genre, and has underlined her reputation as one of the more bankable stars today.

Showcasing her versatility, she plays 5 different women, 4 of which appear in Alex's novel. Ylva and Anna were particularly endearing. Ylva, the Swede, was played to stereotypical perfection. And since stereotypes are so funny to the non-stereotyped, Ylva was roaringly good fun.



Anna, on the other hand, is closer to what Emma is, and somewhat a stereotype herself. Her pure unadulterated soul was what Alex saw in Emma. Alex's hero in his book must choose between French seductress Paulina and the down-to-earth Anna.



As Margaret McGurk of the Cincinnati Enquirer tartly put it, "Alex & Emma is a slight romantic comedy that scores its major points solely on the strength of its charismatic leading lady."

Why do you think I watched it? =]

A liberal sprinkling of stereotypes

Hudson is strikingly beautiful throughout the movie, even as her outfits and hairdos were constantly changing. Sterotypes alone are only that funny, but when played by someone as talented as the adorable Miss Hudson, it inadvertently made me smile.

2 stories, finely blended

The book's characters develop, and life begins to imitate art as two love stories unfold. The constant transition between fact and fiction is surprisingly fresh, partly due to Emma's frequent feedback. From The One About the Ample Bosom to The One About The introduction of Multinational Stereotypes Every Two Pages, Emma's input is refreshing, challenging Alex's cliched writing. Gradually, Alex and Emma appreciate each other's opinions, and respect each other.

Now to be critical:

The movie is cliched, like Alex's book sans Emma, but is worth watching for a few reasons. Well, one.

I watched this movie for Kate Hudson, and she has vindicated my decision.