The cinemas haven't brought out the expected "hot summer films" yet, so I went to this one. Yes, it's a girlie film, but sometimes those can be enjoyable. This one had its bright spots. The female lead, Michelle Monaghan, was terrific. It's not just that she's pretty, but she has a nice solid vibe that makes her appealing, too. A man could imagine that character as someone good to know. Jack Dempsey has his abilities, too--- but his character here was less than attractive.

Either the plot was so implausible that it was hard to buy into it and take it seriously, or the Dempsey character himself was written as such a jerk that I had no patience for him, and no sympathy. I was cheering for his romantic rival, the Scotsman! He seemed to be of better character, nicer, more interesting, and NOT a complete jackass.

I was disappointed toward the end when the film makers turned the Scottish family, lovely people and much more interesting than the Dempsey character and his family, into a mild sort of "bad guy." It felt oh-so-contrived, and unnecessary. It rang a false note.

So, "Made of Honor" swings and misses. Maybe such "wedding" movies and romantic "shaggy dog" stories can never be better than this. But I swear I have seen some that not only worked better, but were actually very entertaining. This one tried, and wasn't awful; but again, I really disliked the male lead, and the film makers obviously wanted us to feel the opposite way. But they failed.

Tom (Patrick Dempsey) is a commitment-phobic, marriage-avoiding playboy who spends most of his waking hours tomcatting around Manhattan (what a novel concept for a romantic comedy). Only Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), his "best friend" of ten years, has the strength of character to call him on his shallowness - even though anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of romantic comedy knows full well that the two of them are just made for each other (apparently, the only people in these situations stupid enough not to realize this universal truth are the couples themselves). But just as Tom decides he's in love with Hannah and is willing to make a lifelong commitment to her, the latter turns up engaged to a kilt-wearing dreamboat ("Rome"'s Kevin McKidd) she met in Scotland. Unaware of how Tom feels about her, Hannah asks him to be her "maid of honor" at the wedding, a role he reluctantly accepts, believing that this will place him in the perfect strategic position to sabotage the nuptials.

As with virtually all romantic comedies these days, "Made of Honor" takes place in a squeaky-clean, never-never land version of New York City, where everyone attends swanky functions, dines at five-star restaurants, and drinks café mocha lattes, with nary a hint as to what any of these fantastically well-off characters do to earn all their money. And, of course, almost everyone we meet is white (with a token African-American or two, as always, thrown in for good measure).

The late Sydney Pollack plays Tom's oft-married father, whose penchant for running through women at an alarming rate shows that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that family. And, of course, Tom is surrounded by the obligatory coterie of jock friends who discuss women, commitment and sex with all the depth and maturity of a bunch of junior-high school students feeling their first stirrings of puberty. Yet, isn't it funny watching all these macho guys fixing gift baskets and discussing wedding plans? No, not really.

It's safe to say that there's not a single moment in "Made of Honor" that doesn't feel utterly manufactured and desperately contrived. Add to that an annoyingly cutesy musical score, embarrassment-evoking slapstick routines - including the desperate Tom arriving late to the wedding astride a borrowed horse, no less! - gag-inducing sentimentality, and the kind of ending we thought "The Graduate" had so brilliantly put an end to forty-some-odd years ago.

Thus, despite the story's being told from a man's viewpoint for a change, at the end of the day, it's still the same old romantic comedy hooey we've been subjected to from time immemorial.

I am not the biggest fan of romantic comedies/chick flicks, but there have been some I have genuinely enjoyed. Made of Honour, while I have seen much worse, is not one I enjoyed. It is worth noting for some striking production values and a beguiling soundtrack, other than that it is a miss.

My problems with this movie starts with the title, please, that pun of a title is appalling and even thinking about it makes me cringe. And I had exactly the same perception even before seeing the movie. Another major problem is that the characters are not sympathetic or likable in the slightest, the lead character especially is a complete sleaze-ball. Also the characters here are little more than cliché after cliché and bland stereotypes.

A lot of plots in romantic comedies are predictable, here is no exception. But this plot is also unrealistic and clichéd, and in terms of the pace and direction the film is a slog. I also disliked the ending, not only was it as predictable as the rest of story but it was also pure fantasy of the highest order.

The acting is not very good unfortunately, like I couldn't connect to any of the characters I don't think a vast majority of the actors could connect with them either. There is one good performance and that comes from Sydney Pollack, but Patrick Dempsey while dashing is too earnest for the lead and Michelle Monaghan comes across as rather limited. Hardly surprising, with the dialogue being as terrible as it was.

All in all, a daft, predictable and clichéd romantic comedy with a few good points. 3/10 Bethany Cox