FILM REVIEW Hot Pursuit

Cinema

Ciara Galvin

USUALLY when I go to the early evening cinema screenings. I have any pick of the seats. It’s also great because I don’t feel conscious of A) going to the cinema by myself and B) bringing a pen and paper and using the light on my phone as a writing aid. Have you ever tried to write in the dark? The struggle is real. Recently though, I’ve noticed a significant spike in cinema attendance, due to the disastrous weather conditions we have been experiencing.

At the 5.20pm showing of ‘Hot Pursuit’ on Wednesday, there was a sizeable attendance of all ages for the 12A rated film. The initial response to the comedy was positive. The laughs were audible. However, the cynic in me soon felt we were all just pleased to be out of the wintry conditions.

Action comedy ‘Hot Pursuit’ comes from the creator of ‘27 Dresses’, the mediocre comedy about always being the bridesmaid and never the bride.

Reese Witherspoon plays one half of the film’s duo, the annoyingly by-the-book police officer Cooper. This role is a step down for Witherspoon, who we can’t forget won an academy award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter in ‘Walk the Line’ and was nominated last year for her role in ‘Wild’.

Cooper has been resigned to a desk job, taking care of police evidence after making a huge error out in the field. The error was so hilarious that now people refer to any mistake as ‘a Cooper’, much like doing a ‘Munson’ in the classic 1996 comedy ‘Kingpin’.

Her first day back in the field and Cooper has been tasked with accompanying the wife of a gangster to Dallas so she can put a big time gangster away in prison by giving evidence.

Sofia Vergara plays the gangster wife. More tellingly, she just plays her own character, Gloria, from hit show ‘Modern Family’. The Colombian actress wails throughout the 81 minutes, with the result that this viewer actually began to resent once-loved Gloria.

‘Hot Pursuit’ provides another ‘odd couple’ scenario, with the uptight and Plain Jane character of Cooper having to work with Vergara, who’s portrayed as every man’s dream woman.

The laughs quickly dissipate after Vergara’s character’s whining begins to grate. There is little comedy present throughout the rehashed plot line.

Like many of these types of films you expect a big reveal; Cooper getting a stylish makeover to resemble Vergara’s character, or the gangster wife taking on some of Cooper’s good qualities. Neither of these happen. The only vague change that results from events is that Cooper can now take a joke and no longer follows all the rules of the road. Even the subplot of Cooper finding love is half cooked.

Witherspoon has been in some great films, but I’m afraid this one goes on that lesser list, alongside ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘This Means War’.

Rating 4 out of 10