DOWN TO YOU *1/2 (out of four stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Freddie Prinze Jr., Julia Stiles, Zak Orth, Shawn Hatosy, Selma Blair and Henry Winkler Director-Kris Isaacson Canadian Rating-PG Released by Miramax Films - 01/00
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Ahh yes. The teenage romance. An attractive young cast is pitted into an unlikely scenario that could only happen in the movies, and in the end, the guy always gets the girl. And with the arrival of the breakout hit `She's All That' last year (followed by a long catalogue of imitators including `10 Things I Hate About You' and `Drive Me Crazy'), the genre previously on life support is once again a hot commodity. Along now comes `Down to You'. The folks at Miramax are obviously trying to capitalize on the rabid `She's All That' craze with their latest project, which has the studdly Freddie Prinze Jr. attached and all. Only `Down to You' doesn't have the ‘unlikely scenario' mentioned above. It is an extraordinarily ordinary romance - a dull, unattractive teen comedy that sticks to the boring game plan that we're accustomed to.
This is the kind of romance that only giggly 12-year old girls will find convincing. In strictly textbook fashion, college sophomore and aspiring chef Al (Prinze Jr.) meets freshman artist Imogen (Julia Stiles). They hit it off like a couple can only in the movies. From here, it's the standard boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-drinks-entire-bottle-of-shampoo-and-may-or-may-not-get-girl-back story. The plot is conveniently assembled to suit the requirements of the main characters, who are frequently taking part in activities that.... well, only happen in the movies.
Fortunately, the cast of `Down to You' has a certain appeal. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles are an adorable couple, and when on screen together, they radiate the sort of warmth and charisma that the movie should have centered around. Zak Orth, as the newly realized porn star Monk, shows an unmistakable flair with handling all of the film's intelligent dialogue. Rounding out the impressive ensemble of young talent are Shawn Hatosy (`The Faculty'), Selma Blair (`Cruel Intentions') and Ashton Kutcher (TV's `That 70's Shows'). Even The Fonz himself - Henry Winkler, the epitome of teenage angst and nostalgia - has a welcome role as Al's dad, the host of the popular cooking program `Chef Ray'. Maybe the concept of `Down to You' looked good on paper to draw such a crowd. As a feature film, however, the finished product is bland and tasteless fluff with only an occasional whiff of cuteness to keep the gears from stopping entirely.
Perhaps worst of all, `Down to You' is not funny. The jokes are drawn from obvious sources and the resulting humor is banal and uninspired. The characters on screen, often laughing at each other's goofy/embarrassing antics, seemed far more amused than the audience. Even the giggly 12-year old girls had grown restless toward the end as they waited impatiently for the formula to run it's course. The one mildly clever segment featured Winkler and Prinze Jr. in a fantasy sequence called `Cooks', a `COPS' take-off in which the father and son would storm houses and cook a decent meal for ‘needy' families (with the assistance of a fully-armed SWAT team, of course). When this is the highlight reel, you know the remaining film could leave something to be desired.
In order to make a teen comedy work, you've got to have characters that show something by way of depth and identity. `10 Things I Hate About You' actually featured characters who were more than walking flashcards, and the result was refreshing. No such luck with `Down to You'. It's just a textbook romance where, despite absurd circumstances, everything is bound to work out in the end. And at the end of the whole clichéd ordeal, the nicest thing you could possibly say would be `.... only in the movies'.
(C) 2000, Jamey Hughton
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