Movie review

The 'Hitch' is the plot

Hitch is the fluffier flip side of Alfie, in which a seduction expert shares his magical wisdom about women. Both movies show how the expert withers under "real" circumstances that aren't as much fun as their fantasies. Hitch does it with such practiced glibness that even its reality seems phony.

Thank heaven that Will Smith is cooler than the other side of the pillow, or else Andy Tennant's movie - his followup to the equally slick Sweet Home Alabama - might be a disaster. We can also be thankful that sitcom star Kevin James (The King of Queens), playing one of Hitch's clients in need of a romance makeover, is so cuddly uncool that he compensates for a so-so role.

Hitch glides on sheer charisma, Smith's overabundance and James' comical shortage. Screenwriter Kevin Bisch puts a few tangy words in their mouths, but has a little trouble plotting how to keep these disparate characters together. Everything hinges on information that, if shared at a sensible time, would prevent the movie from continuing. Personality can overrule such cookie-cutter writing, as it often does in Hitch.

Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Smith) is the kind of smooth operator that women want to be with, and men want to be. That makes him a successful consultant to lovelorn guys chasing the women of their dreams. Nothing as misogynistic as Alfie; Hitch bluntly refuses assignments from men who don't genuinely love their objects of desire. Smith often speaks to the camera a la Alfie, although less cynically, more optimistic about love, and always with supreme assurance.

Albert Finneran (James) is a nebbish accountant with a crush on his firm's top client, heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta). The funniest scenes in Hitch have Alex showing the ropes to Albert, or wanting to strangle him with one when this terminally unhip guy tries to dance or takes kissing lessons too far. James is an adroit physical comedian for his stout size; watch his clumsiness sitting on library steps, or his pirouette after a first kiss with Allegra. Unlike Debra Messing (The Wedding Date), James is a TV star who deserves a larger screen.

It's when these interesting characters must do something that Bisch's script falters. Alex's code of bachelorhood is threatened by meeting Sara (Eva Mendes), a gossip reporter for a New York newspaper. Suddenly, his polished veneer cracks, making him the kind of romantic fumbler he usually helps.

It's a smart idea until the coincidences pile up: Sara's best friend was used by a cad she thinks that Alex coached, making him a target for media exposure. Sara discovers that the "love doctor" she hears about is actually her new boyfriend, which comes off as something like that third quarter of a Love Boat episode when something messes up a budding romance. Sara's snooping occupation also crosses paths with Albert and Allegra, forcing their relationship into nearly equal screen time. Tipping the scales toward one couple or the other might lead to more consistent comedy.

A few scenes in Hitch play perfectly. A first date with Sara at Ellis Island, and a warm surprise waiting for her there, shows Alex's attention to every detail about women to be more sincere than we thought. The kicker to this sentimental episode devised by Bisch is very funny. Alex's swollen bout with food poisoning is a great sight gag, underscored by his sipping Benadryl through a straw and getting tipsy. Smith's quieter moments, when Alex discovers his changing heart, are sweetly played.

There are enough smooth moments in Hitch that its rough edges and predictability won't concern many viewers. At this time of the year, that's almost as good as it gets for new movies.

Grade: B-

Director: Andy Tennant

Cast: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, David Arkin, Julie Ann Emery, Michael Rapaport

Screenplay: Kevin Bisch

Rating: PG-13; profanity, sexual material

Running time: 115 min.