Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Maggie (Cameron Diaz) has an innate talent for choosing the perfect shoes for any occasion. - CONTRIBUTED
IN HER Shoes is a story about sisters, but not so much about sisterhood. Instead the film gives a story about finding yourself and finding family in the process. An entertaining, engaging, emotion-driven flick, it may never become one of the classics of its kind, but it is quite good.
Directed by Curtis Hanson, In Her Shoes is based on the novel by Jennifer Weiner with a screenplay by Susannah Grant. There is some attempt to play with the whole shoe idea, using it as an active metaphor, but this is only reasonably successful. The flick needed a touch more creativity in the editing and the direction to make the shoe motif work superbly.
In Her Shoes is built on a standard enough storyline, as it takes you through the idea of understanding the other woman's position by taking a walk in her stilettos. Granted, with the shoes that are in question in this flick, one is quite likely to fall off those two-storey high concoctions and break something.
Rose (Toni Collette) and Maggie (Cameron Diaz) are very different sisters. Maggie has a zest for life and is constantly chasing fun without engaging in any responsibility. Rose, the older of the two sisters, is the very opposite. She is dedicated to her job as a lawyer and takes her responsibilities seriously. Additionally, though she likes buying gorgeous shoes, she does not wear them. Not surprisingly, one sister is a blonde and the other a brunette.
As such, In Her Shoes does not achieve its reasonable success because of its script, though this is witty enough. However, its strongest feature is the believable performances delivered. Toni Collette is quite moving in this role. Though she has not yet been deemed a star, she is a great actress and has been doling out great performances whether it was as the love pariah in the Starz original movie, Muriel's Wedding, or as the extremely stressed mother in The Sixth Sense. In Her Shoes is no different.
Shirley McClean, as Ella Hirch also gives a good turn. Arguably, Diaz was better in Shrek, but she also puts in a good performance. Nonetheless, Hollywood's infatuation with her derrière is getting a little too much now. Once again she pops up in only underwear, which may have had its time in Charlie's Angels, but by the sequel they really should have left well enough alone.
The flick could have been better, however, if Mark Feuerstein (Simon Stein) played a more interesting love interest. From his hair to his clothes, he simply is too boring a character for one to get excited about.
On occasion, the movie develops a little too slowly, but the overall effect is quite good. It also helps that the story allows the sisters to drift apart and find themselves and so it explores the schisms in their relationship quite well. In Her Shoes is a good flick for a quiet afternoon at the cinema. It combines a touch of comedy, a little drama and even a little romance. It definitely has the feel of one of those movies that one can get to like a little more every time you watch it.
