Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan
Director: Robert Luketic
Rated: M15+
CHARLOTTE “Charlie” Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) has not been lucky in love. Holding down temp jobs as a doctor’s receptionist, a waitress and a dog walker, she longs to be a fashion designer and artist.
While on the beach with the dogs she notices Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan) as he jogs by. He notices her too.
Kevin has just returned to Los Angeles to take up a post as a surgeon about town. He is handsome, charming and unattached. He is also the only son of super-possessive Viola Fields, a veteran television journalist and celebrity interviewer.
As fate would have it, Charlie waits on Kevin’s welcome home party. They meet again, fall in love and four months later Kevin proposes marriage.
Viola is not happy about the engagement, and sets about doing everything imaginable to wreck the relationship. Viola is the mother-in-law from hell, hence this movie’s title Monster-in-Law.
At first Charlie falls for Viola’s routine, but when she wakes up to what’s going on she turns the tables on her.
After a long absence, this easygoing romantic comedy sees the return of Jane Fonda to the big screen.
For a woman of her dramatic abilities, this light role is a push over. She looks fantastic for her years, has retained her screen presence, and delivers her lines with consummate timing. The character is completely over the top and she plays it for all it’s worth.
The screenplay is a significant improvement on the usual fare in this genre. There are a few decent laughs and many things to smile about.
J-Lo does her best as well, but in almost every scene they share the pop princess is shown up by the former queen of Hollywood.
The morality of the film is poor, advocating nasty, and at one stage very dangerous, tactics between the women. It also glamourises multiple marriages and casually advocates abortion for pregnant women.
But the unreal world these people live in, means we are not meant to take anything they say, do, or stand for very seriously. Just as well.
Australian director Robert Luketic, who had a smash hit with Legally Blonde, moves the action along, and so brings Monster-in-Law to its utterly predictable conclusion in 101 minutes.
