I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

There is absolutely nothing original about this film. I suppose that is not too great a criticism in this day and age or for the romantic comedy genre past the 1990's in general. The only thing about this movie that makes it even a little interesting to watch, I think, were the main characters, played by Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Colin Egglesfield. And that's not as much a comment on the way the characters were written or developed, because the writing is not particularly amazing, but rather a comment on the "acting talents" of these individuals, or more frankly, because they are nice to look at.They are all decent actors by my book. Goodwin and Egglesfield are better known for their roles on TV - Snow White on "Once Upon a Time" and Evan Parks on "The Client List", respectively. Kate Hudson, a gem from films such as "Almost Famous", is the best thing about this movie, but that is not saying too much. The story is blah. Goodwin and Egglesfield are the two with the chemistry and so, perhaps, that is why we are swayed to root for them, despite the fact that Egglesfield and Hudson are engaged to be married. Each character is immoral in an annoying, hypocritical way - not a sort of antihero or revenge- seeking way. Boy, this review is getting to be as bad as the film. Anyway, there is not much in the characters or the plot that inspires audience sympathy or interest. There is one thing that especially bothered me about the film - and that's how the parents of Dex (Egglesfield, may as well use the characters' names) disapprove of Rachel (Goodwin), yet approve of Darcy (Kate Hudson), when Rachel is an upper-class lawyer just like Dex and Darcy the wild party-girl. That being said, I wasn't exactly on Rachel's side, or anyone's side for that matter. If I'm being honest, the best course of action would have been if Rachel and someone else were to run off together leaving Dex alone, because why should a two-timer who strings women along get to have the happy ending?

This must be one of the most old-fashioned and conservative films I have ever seen. A couple of well-set friends lie to each others for one and a half hours until the leading lady gets her unattractive object of desire at last. That may say something about the stratum the story plays in, but as a film it's a disaster. Fought hard against falling asleep. The problem with the "mistakes" everybody, except for the gay friend of Rachel, is constantly making in the film, is that they are so bloody obvious. And not only that: Ethan, who mysteriously falls in love with Rachel, although he is gay, constantly tells her, what she's doing wrong, to no effect. So when the audience is already biting their lips, Rachel still acts like an idiot over and over again. This is simply unbearable.

SPOILERS!! This is hands down the worst romcom. A total lack of redemption and spine from any character, and a horrendous plot if there is one and if ever there was one. At one point, that I air-slapped one of the leads. Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin should move on from this genre. But I guess in Hollywood, if you are a hot blonde, you are doomed to always play the rich, dumb, partying, skimpily-clad blonde,and if you are Ginnifer Goodwin, well, you are basically typecast as Ginnifer Goodwin. All the actors did a good job, but when the plot is so terrible, no amount of good acting will help and this movie proves it. Rachel (Goodwin) and Darcy (Hudson) are best friends from childhood. Rachel is the smart, plain-looking, yet pretty-in-a-way brunette, Darcy, the above-described blonde, Dex (Egglesfield) is the handsome, rich lawyer, and Ethan (Krasinski) the only sensible one in this mess. So, Rachel and Dex really like each other all through law school, but Rachel has a pathologic need to hand over the good things in her life to her best friend, because she thinks she doesn't deserve them, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. In reaction to that, Dex doesn't ask her out either. On her thirtieth birthday, Darcy, who by now is engaged to Dex, throws a huge party for her, after which she gets drunk and ends up sleeping with Dex. This is where the movie starts to fall apart. Rachel and Dex start to meet secretively and realise that they have always loved each other and are meant to be together, but they'd rather sneak around behind Darcy's back and spend romantic nights, than own up and deal with the consequences. Instead, Dex is house-hunting with Darcy and upon seeing him with Darcy, Rachel tries to make him jealous by sleaze-dancing with his friend, Marcus. Dex hasn't an iota of courage to come clean to Darcy and instead, when his father warns him to forget Rachel, he stares blankly instead of standing up for himself and the woman he loves. To make matters worse, Darcy confesses to Rachel that she cheated on Dex with Marcus and when she asks Rachel if she should still marry Dex, despite everything, Rachel gives the thumbs-up. Ethan (Krasinksi) figures out what's going on, but he loves Rachel, and wants the best for her and keeps telling her to do the right thing, in vain. When he gets sick of the charade, he even tries to make things right, but Rachel breaks his nose before he can say a word. Way to go! Finally, after what seems like eons, Rachel does admit her feelings to Dex, and Dex, being the coward that he is, chickens out. Rachel gets upset and goes to London to where Ethan has relocated by now (probably to escape this madness and keep his body intact, I don't blame him). Ethan tells her that he loves her, that unlike with Dex, she is his first choice. Rachel gives an awwww-but-I-don't-love-you type expression and of course, Ethan "understands". Rachel returns to New York City, because after all, her best friend needs her at her wedding. Never mind, the fact that she slept with said BFF's fiancée and stabbed her in the back, but who cares, right? When she gets back, Dex is waiting for her, he has called off the wedding and they run into each other's arms. Darcy then shows up at her place and tells her that she is pregnant with Marcus' baby and despite the spineless Dex hiding from her in the kitchen, she finds his jacket and understands the truth. She is mad at them and shouts, 'I hate you!' to Rachel and leaves. Two months later, Dex and Rachel are together and Rachel meets Darcy on the street, who tells her she is happy, patting her baby bump. She is better off without these toxic people in her life. She eventually ends up in London and is last seen chasing after Ethan, who can't seem to catch a break from this craziness and is seen running away from her. The writers made Darcy cheat on Dex only so that she'd seem worse and they could redeem the lead pair. The worst part is, when Darcy first meets Dex at a bar where he is with Rachel, she proposes that he ask Rachel out to which Rachel says no and that they are just friends. Only then does Darcy make her move on him. Even after Dex follows her out and asks if she is okay with him dating her friend, she acts as though she is fine with it, though she clearly has tears in her eyes and every fricking pore in her body is screaming no. Rachel is the worst excuse for a friend, Dex, for a man and a fiancée. Darcy is made evil just to end this never-ending crapfest. The one star is for the line when Ethan says to Rachel, 'You and Dex deserve each other, he won't leave his fiancée to be with you and you don't have the nerve to ask for what you want.' To think that the makers want to make a sequel! Shelve it already!

This was a fun chick flick in my opinion, lots of morals involved here and a situation that occurs much more frequently then some people would like to hear. I don't condone cheating but sometimes you have to go where your heart is and in this movie Rachel was merely reclaiming what was hers in the first place. Her BFF didn't really love him anyway and was also sleeping behind his back so I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. In reality Rachel wouldn't have let a hot guy like that go so easily to her BFF. One negative is that if you're going to portray someone as being less attractive than the other girl at least choose an actress that isn't just as pretty as the other. I enjoyed the comedy aspect of the movie too, JK is extremely funny.