Down With Love

The old-fashioned title cards, split-screen effects, cocktail-culture soundtrack music and outrageously retro fashions would seem to label "Down With Love" as something of a throwback film.

This romantic comedy isn't what it appears to be on the surface, however — it's not really a homage to the bedroom farces that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the 1960s.

Which is not to say that "Down With Love" doesn't give a wink or a nod — or two — to Day's and Hudson's films. But it's quite a bit naughtier and a bit more contemporary than the comparison suggests — and it's also sweet, smart, stylish and, most of all, sexy.

"Down With Love" also appears to have been a heck of a lot of fun to make, especially for the stars, who get to act like they're part of the swinging '60s.

The title refers to a controversial best-seller written by Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger). In her pre-feminist manifesto, Barbara espouses the belief that women should concentrate on their careers and eschew love — but not sex.

To everyone's surprise, the book sets off a revolution of sorts, as women around the country start asserting themselves — which rankles Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), a controlling, womanizing magazine writer whose many girlfriends suddenly feel empowered to call the shots.

So Catcher schemes to expose Barbara as a fraud by making her fall in love with him. To do so, he pretends to be a naive astronaut who's not interested in premarital carousing. Unfortunately, the plan works better than either of them could have expected.

Peyton Reed ("Bring It On") displays some nice directorial touches, including one scene that makes fine use of two "dueling" versions of the song "Fly Me to the Moon" — one sung by Frank Sinatra, the other by Astrud Gilberto.

McGregor and Zellweger seem to be having a blast — and their performance never gets too campy. Same for supporting performers David Hyde Pierce and Sarah Paulson, both of whom put in movie-stealing bids as McGregor's and Zellweger's respective bosses. (And stick around through the final credits, both for a final scene that features Hyde Pierce's and Paulson's characters, as well as a musical number, "Here's to Love," performed by McGregor and Zellweger.

"Down With Love" is rated PG-13 for vulgar sexual humor (including sight gags and innuendos), scattered use of mild profanity, brief violence (some fisticuffs), brief drug content (references to marijuana use) and glimpses of nude artwork. Running time: 94 minutes.

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