By Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Brittany Murphy (left) and Holly Hunter hit the jackpot in 'Little Black Book'. - Contributed Photos
LITTLE BLACK Book bears a striking
resemblance to a coming of age of the romantic comedy. Actually, maybe it really isn't a romantic comedy, but we simply do not have any real category to put it in.
In recent years more and more movies have been popping up, that more celebrate women coming into their own than coming into love. Movies like Bridget Jones' Diary (and maybe even more so the sequel which has not yet made it to theatres) and Under The Tuscan Sun have been exploring this. In both movies, however, the romantic element is stronger than in Little Black Book.
The movie, directed by Nick Hurran, stars Brittany Murphy and Ron Livingston. The plot begins in not the most comfortable of places for a romantic comedy, as the two are already in the middle of a happy relationship. Both are young professionals hoping to be on the rise in their chosen fields. They seem to have hit a snag, however, at least from Stacey's (Murphy) perspective, when she discovers that Derrick (Livingston) had dated a supermodel.
PAST RELATIONSHIPS
Stacey therefore decides to jump in the hole clearly marked 'do not enter, trap up ahead' and try to find out about his past relationships. She does so via today's version of the Little Black Book the Little Black Palm Pilot.
At the beginning the movie was quite average; the writing was witty, the direction good and the cast entertaining, but the plot was largely standard fare. That all changed when the film took the time to explore honest emotion. In the euphoria of exploring new love and finding obstacles to throw in its way, many romantic comedies fail to properly capture the heart of romance. The classic ones do. Most of them have that poignant moment, which is more dramatic than comic, which is about the heart.
Little Black Book captures that moment beautifully.
It should be noted, however, that is not a film geared toward the incurable romantic. It questions the motifs that have been poured down our throats ever since we first heard of glass slippers. However, depending on your idea of what makes a happy ending, one should be able to see what makes this a truly romantic story.
One way or the other, it is a well told one.
GREAT DIRECTION
Hurran gives great direction, tapping into some great moments that help one to identify with Stacey's character. Additionally, the movie uses the first person narrative, which is very tricky as it can easily be overdone. Little Black Book easily escapes that trap. The narration gives just enough information to add to the enjoyment without becoming overbearing.
An impressive part of the movie's success is the cast. Stacey is in large part a rather typical Murphy role, except towards the end when she is forced to grow up. At first, all that seemed to have changed from most of her roles is the hairstyle. But though it has been relatively rare a sighting, she is a competent actress. Her wide brown eyes makes it easy for her to play wide-eyed innocence, doped up with pep. This role asks for more and she is able to deliver.
An integral part of the cast, however, was the superb cadre of supporting actors, who raised the bar even higher. At the head of the group was Holly Hunter , closely followed by Kathy Bates. Both gave great performances, as expected. Even Sharon Lawrence's brief moments on the screen were delightful.
Little Black Book is the romantic movie for today's woman, when we already know that the prince on the charger may not be coming, or he may be late, so we've already hailed a cab.
