Search

Simply Irresistible

1999, Movie, PG-13, 93 mins

Simply Irresistible: Review

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE
starstarstarstar
The spirit of classic MGM romantic comedies hangs heavily over this resolutely unmagical picture. Amanda Shelton (Sarah Michelle Gellar) cooks in the shadow of her late mother, a divinely inspired chef who made the family restaurant, Southern Cross, a neighborhood institution. But Amanda's lackluster concoctions are running the joint into the ground. Enter her guardian angel (Christopher Durang), who appears at a produce market and presses a basket of crabs on Amanda. One of them, you see, is a magic crab, and next thing she knows Amanda has fallen for a sleek, supercilious marketing type named Tom Bartlett (Sean Patrick Flanery), who's flacking for the chichi, soon-to-open Jonathan's at Henri Bendel. Love inspires Amanda in the kitchen: Suddenly she's whipping up heavenly entrees and deserts so delicious they drive people into an erotic frenzy. So why is Tom resisting her charms so churlishly? It will come as no surprise that Amanda eventually winds up taking over the kitchen at Jonathan's at the last moment, or that her culinary magic makes the new restaurant's gala opening into something very memorable indeed. Though as attractive, charming and well-dressed as they ought to be, the movie's leads are consistently upstaged by the movie's colorful supporting players. They include HIGH ART's Patricia Clarkson as Tom's chic and sharp-tongued secretary, who has eyes for the starchy big boss (Dylan Baker) -- what were once the Eve Arden and the Ralph Bellamy roles -- and Larry Gilliard, Jr., who plays Amanda's amiable sous chef and confidant. The notion of a cook's emotions so coloring the food she prepares that all those who eat it are affected seemed magical in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE; here it comes off as so much pointless mumbo jumbo. Though glossy and smoothly directed, this limp concoction has all the sparkle of flat champagne. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
Advertisement

Shop

Simply Irresistible
Buy Simply Irresistible from Amazon.com
From 20th Century Fox (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $7.49 (as of 11/25/09 5:27 PM EST - more info)
She's the One / Simply Irresistible
Buy She's the One / Simply Irresistible from Amazon.com
From 20th Century Fox (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarhalfstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $9.99 (as of 11/25/09 5:27 PM EST - more info)

more Simply Irresistible products

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Michelle Obama
  2. Adam Lambert
  3. Tiger Woods
  4. Kym Johnson
  5. Donny Osmond
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
  2. The Blind Side
  3. 2012
  4. Planet 51
  5. A Christmas Carol
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Adam Lambert
  2. #5 Adam Lambert - For Your En...
  3. #20 Adam Lambert American Mus...
  4. Dancing with the Stars
  5. V
more top videos