Romantic comedies are like internet cat videos. They're sweet, sometimes funny. Their hearts are in the right place but the formula is so trite they're hard to sit through. Why in the world would you waste your time sinking so low as to watch a one then? I here fans patronizingly ask. Two reasons, and they are directly related. First, I like to be as ignorant as I can be of the movie I'm going to see. All I want to know is if it is a film that I
could like, i.e. genre, director, writer, etc. I do this because movies have a target audience, and I readily admit that often the target audience is not me. Sure, a filmmaker dreams of creating a movie that everyone loves, but the realistic advice is to know your audience. So, I don't want to waste readers time, the filmmakers time or my time to watch films which aren't intended for me. Second, the synopsis left out any indications of genre:
Cynical Sally ghostwrites an advice column under the pseudonym Mr. Know It All. When a celebrity endorsement turns her column into an overnight success, Sally submits a sketch of Albert, a handsome stranger she spots in a movie theatre, as the face of Mr. Know It All. Unfortunately, Albert happens to be a contract killer and cannot walk down the street without being recognized. For the sake of his livelihood, he decides he must kill Mr. Know It All.
Later I read a different synopsis which had the telling line: He doesn't know whether to kill her or kiss her. That would have clued me in. Oh, well. Whats done is done. At this point its all bottled water under the bridge. I will say this, the movie was a'ight. I didn't want to claw my eyes out. I suppose that makes this a glowing review, considering its source. It was sappy, the characters were derivative of every befuddled character Hugh Grant has played, and as far as contract killers go, my 6 month old puppies are more vicious than Albert (Jefferson Brown). Yet, to be honest, it was a fun film, much like watching
Maru trying to fit in too small boxes. There is a cute fumbling awkwardness that makes you think, Arent you silly. That will never work. Which means Please Kill Mr. Know It All did exactly what one would expect it to. My wife, who is the target audience for this movie, said she liked it. So, take that for what you will.
Please Kill Mr. Know It All will be released April 13th, 2014 in the US.