If the hope for "27 Dresses" was an innovative gown of a film with bold style and a refreshing hue, the audience will have to settle for a reliable, simple, black dress of a movie: never the wrong choice, but not a remarkable one either. Directed by Anne Fletcher, the movie is pleasant enough, but similarly-themed romantic comedies such as "10 Things I Hate About You" easily outshine this fall-back date movie. With its inevitable happy ending and attractive actors, "27 Dresses" certainly succeeds in making its audiences feel warm and fuzzy inside, but it does no more than that.
The expression "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" accurately describes the life of Jane (Katherine Heigl), a New Yorker who has been a bridesmaid at 27 weddings but failed to take the vows herself because she has a helpless and hopeless crush on her boss, George (Edward Burns). At the exact moment that Jane finally gathers enough courage to confess her love, George meets and becomes infatuated with Jane's spoiled little sister Tess (Malin Akerman), who puts up a false facade in order to be with him. To Jane's great dismay, George and Tess become engaged, and Jane is once again obliged to be the maid-of-honor and plan the wedding. Meanwhile, a creepy stranger by the name of Kevin (James Marsden) approaches Jane and sidles his way into her life, making her laugh and verbally abusing the institution of marriage (specifically weddings).
The movie has a rocky start when the young Jane (Peyton Roi List) shows she is capable of accomplishing impossible tasks in a matter of seconds. She ties the ugliest bow on her little sister's hair but beautifully repairs the bride's ripped dress, topping it off with the prettiest bow. The movie then continues to make false turns: the grown Jane manages to be present at two weddings, which take place at the same time, as the maid-of-honor by going back and forth between the two celebrations, changing between a hideous lilac dress and a stunning red sari in the taxi (because that is so easy to do). This scene is very skillfully edited, and that is what saves it from being the worst moment in the movie.
The worst part of the movie is when Jane tries on all her bridesmaid dresses for Kevin. The acting, especially by Marsden, at this point is so overdone that it is hard to believe this particular take made the cut.
The movie also has bits of unnecessary, cheesy detail that makes it sappy instead of complex. Kevin is cynical and sardonic because his wife left him, and Tess is selfish because of her mother's untimely death. Why does everybody have to be secretly wounded in this film? It almost seems as if the movie wants to apologize for them.
However, many such shortcomings of the movie are compensated for by a single character: Jane's best friend Casey (Judy Greer). Casey has a cheeky tongue and she makes for excellent comic relief. Greer plays her role brilliantly, and it is not an overstatement to say that it is she who saves the movie from helplessly plunging into failure.
In short, "27 Dresses" is one fine and lighthearted bridesmaid, but never the bride, of romantic comedies.