Barnes & Noble

While fluffy romantic comedies never seem to go out of style, it’s increasingly difficult to produce one that seems fresh. Charismatic and appealing stars often provide the necessary oomph, though -- and that’s the case with Laws of Attraction. Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore play divorce lawyers who are diametrically opposed, not only professionally but personally as well. He’s rumpled and insouciant; she’s fastidious and tightly wound. But opposites always attract in movies like this (hence the title), and before long they’re trading kisses and quips instead of barbs and briefs. There’s just one small problem: They’re pitted against each other in a high-profile case involving a rock star (Michael Sheen) and his wife (Parker Posey). We’re not giving much away to tell you that the plot complications are predictable, nor do we mind saying that you’ll probably figure things out long before the characters do. But there’s great fun getting there, thanks to a surfeit of clever lines delivered in sprightly fashion by these personable performers. Brosnan and Moore have great chemistry; he’s especially good when playing somebody as cheeky as this lawyer, and for all her dramatic chops Moore seems very much at home in a slightly daffy characterization. Supporting players Frances Fisher (as Moore’s earthy mom) and Nora Dunn (playing a straitlaced judge) contribute scene-stealing turns that add to the fun. Laws of Attraction is, admittedly, pretty slight stuff, and some might think the film unworthy of its talented cast. But as a throwback to old-fashioned Hollywood comedies like Adam’s Rib (from which director Peter Howitt has cribbed shamelessly), it’s very much the type of movie you want to put in the DVD player on a rainy afternoon. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Though equally respected in their field, divorce lawyers Audrey Woods (Julianne Moore) and Daniel Rafferty (Pierce Brosnan) are opposites inside and out of the courtroom. Audrey is meticulous and by the book, while Daniel relies on personality and luck to get by. Despite the difference in methods, neither lawyer has lost a case, and neither plan on ending their streak after being respectively hired by Serena (Parker Posey) and Thorne (Michael Sheen), a celebrity power couple gone wrong. The divorce settlement hinges on a particularly spectacular Irish castle, which both parties would like to keep for themselves. Audrey and Daniel hurry to Ireland with depositions in their eyes, but a growing mutual attraction manages to squirm out from beneath, and, after being immersed in a romantic Irish festival, the rival lawyers wake up married. Reeling, potentially in love (to Audrey in particular's dismay), and faced with the type of media explosion capable of leading to the end of their careers, the mismatched lawyers contemplate how to go about their clients' divorce hearings as man and wife. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 794043725524
• Source: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan, Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Time: 1:30:00
• Sales Rank: 9,957

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Romance: 4 Film Favorites

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