Monster-In-Law

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Brendan Behan once wrote “Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves.” Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m bringing up a dead, Irish playwright in a column about the romantic comedy starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez, Monster-In-Law. Barely out of the gate, this film is receiving lots of coverage, but sadly most of it is negative. Of course the reviews are from professional critics, and many of these people know less about the movie industry than the kids taking tickets at the local theater. Over the past year I’ve made note of several films that critic’s around the country have slashed-n-bashed because they were just fun films. Two that come to mind, Shall We Dance and Hitch, were thrashed soundly by critic’s but produced large Box Office -- not huge – but respectable enough to make a statement. All you critic’s out there, listen-up. We like fun movies! And that’s all Monster-In-Law is; fun.

She met the perfect man. Then she met his mother. This easy set-up moves us to a plot where the monster of a mother-in-law to be, Viola (Jane Fonda), tries to destroy the relationship her son, Kevin (Michael Vartan), has with Charlie (Jennifer Lopez), a self-sufficient, young woman who doesn’t quite measure-up. The girl so rankles Viola that she can’t even call her Charlie and insists on renaming her Charlotte, a name that sticks through nearly the whole movie.

While the film stands mostly on slap-stick it builds from a hearty foundation of the vitriol that can exist between mother-in-laws and the women their sons marry. Fonda, after 15 years away, is a welcome sight on the screen. She’s never had a big comedy role, yet she plays Viola without missing a beat. Lopez, not nearly the actress Fonda is, holds her own as a simple, less complex, less scheming woman who is simply in love. And to those who grumble about how bad she is I would remind them of an early Fonda film, Barbarella. Lopez is getting better all the time, and I expect she will maneuver her way into more appropriate roles as she grows into her talent. Michael Vartan has a little more on-screen time than the dogs that Lopez walks for one of her jobs, but he smiles nicely and allows the ladies all the room they need. Two stand-out roles are Ruby (Wanda Sykes), who nearly steals the show and Gertrude (Elaine Stritch) who nearly steals the end the show.

The real problem with this movie is the set-up; it’s way too long. Director Robert Luketic (Charmed) gives us far too much on the front end that is unnecessary and unfun. I found myself squirming in my seat thinking “Okay, enough of the boy-meets-girl stuff, lets get down to the slap-fight.” I had seen the previews several dozen times, and I wanted to see it in real-time, movie-time. When it finally came it was just as funny but I wanted more. My advice - don’t pay evening prices to see this, but take-off during the heat of the afternoon when you desperately need a laugh. And, don’t measure this film, just watch it ... just have fun.