A one-dimensional comedy that seems to exist only to perpetuate the careers of both of its stars, Did You Hear About The Morgans? is likely to strain the patience of even the most ardent fans of Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. Weren't they both funny once? With material like this their flaws are only too exposed.
It's written and directed by Marc Lawrence, the man behind a succession of Sandra Bullock films (this feels like a Bullock cast-off) and he does not set his targets very high. Parker and Grant are successful New Yorkers (Grant retains his British accent) who are trying to patch up their marriage when they witness a murder. Hence they enter a witness protection scheme in Wyoming and cue a whole barrel of fish-out-of-water-laughs.
Or in this case, not. Very little here is actually funny, and in the screening I attended, the early chuckles (the getting-to-know you polite chuckles) soon gave way to a silence that you might hear in the vast Mid West, as Grant bumbles with the great outdoors, and Parker goes through a whole routine of will-she/won't she take him back episodes with entirely predictable results.
It's not entirely the principals' fault - they are stuck with a lousy script. But it has to be said that the chemistry between the two is akin to cold fusion and it feels as though they first met the day before they started filming.
What's worse is that the budget appears limited. Is this a credit crunch studio film which is being snuck out under false pretences? Whether it is or not, potential audiences are advised to look elsewhere.
Paul Hurley
