Crazy Little Thing (2002) / Comedy-Romance
aka The Perfect YouMPAA Rated: R for adult humor, sexual situations and language
Running Time: 91 min.Cast: Jenny McCarthy, Chris Eigeman, Paul Dooley, Drea de Matteo, Alanna Ubach, Aubrey Dollar, Jordan Ladd (cameo)
Director: Matthew Miller
Screenplay: Matthew Miller
Review published March 2, 2002
Crazy Little Thing (or The Perfect You, as it was known in its film festival release) is a low-budget, independent romantic comedy that actually manages to overcome its meager resources and derivative nature to become a worthwhile date flick. You can forget the plot, which is about as contrived as they come in these sorts of films, and basically lacks distinction, lost in a sea of similar entertainment. Yet, if you like this kind of movie, you probably won't be disappointed, as there is a good share of solid laughs, keen wit, and surprisingly funny performances by the two lead performers.
Former Playboy Playmate and MTV personality Jenny McCarthy stars as Whitney, a New York City news reporter who has given up on the dating scene out of sheer frustration. Eigeman (The Last Days of Disco, Barcelona) is Jimmy, who is basically just frustrated by his lack of dating altogether, plus his inability to nail down a real job, or in getting out of his father's house. Through chance mishaps, the two very different personalities meet, then meet again, then again, usually finding themselves at odds with one another, but underneath, there is some attraction as well.
Although a good portion of the film has Jimmy and Whitney disliking each other, I suppose it wouldn't be too much of a spoiler to tell you that at some point they come around. There's not very much in the way of genuine surprises in the storyline, so don't go into this film expecting something radically new.
However, if you like either of the two main stars, it should fit the bill. McCarthy, for all of her claim to fame posing nude to catch a break, is actually a pretty decent comedienne, and there's plenty of opportunity for her to showcase her perky charm and strengths in physical comedy with Michael Miller's farcical script. Conversely, Eigeman has an entirely different comedic style, relying mostly on pithy observations and sardonic wit, and Miller also pens the smart quips for him with equally effortless finesse. This is Miller's first motion picture effort, and at this point you'd have to say that his main strength is definitely as a writer, but his direction, while not spectacular, gets the job done without much muss or fuss.
Crazy Little Thing is a good film to pick for those couple who like to rent a flick to watch together at home. Although you won't find any nudity or excessive crudeness in the humor, many of the film's attempts at laughs come from situations with strong sexual overtones, so you may not want to watch this until the kids are asleep. If you want a good laugh here and there, and some funny relationship musings, you shouldn't be disappointed in what this small-time comedy has to deliver.
Qwipster's rating:
©2002 Vince Leo
