As many of you know, I’ve been a pretty big Hilary Duff fan, for quite some years now. Consequently, I get pretty excited when she releases new material whether it be movies, music, or TV guest appearances. As of late, she’s had quite a few new releases including her movie Greta, her appearance on the current season of Gossip Girl, and the latest release, her made for TV movie, Beauty and the Briefcase.
Beauty and the Briefcase is a romantic comedy film that recently premiered on ABC Family. Despite being just a TV movie, it is Duff’s first motion picture that has gotten major publicity and promo since 2006’s Material Girls. Although I’m a huge fan, I wasn’t going into the film with high expectations. Her latest projects did disappoint a little; Gossip Girl, although a mature themed show, didn’t quite showcase Duff’s acting capabilities and According To Greta, despite being a really good film, disappointed with the ending. Therefore, I went into the movie with no expectations and no bias. How did that turn out? Keep reading.
The movie revolves around Lane Daniels (Hilary Duff, War Inc.) who is an aspiring journalist trying to get a position for Cosmopolitan. Although at first she is rejected, the editor in chief reconsiders and gives Lane the task to do the cover story for the next issue. This job is a little more than what Lane bargained for; she has to go undercover, work at a financial office and date various men to ultimately writing an article about dating men in suits. Of course, you can see where the story will go with this plot, and although it is a cliche story, that’s what most romantic comedies; recycled plots. Lane has a checklist that she follows for her “magic man” which includes things like being able to play an instrument, having an accent, etc. and while working on the story, she meets a man that completes the checklist, but the only problem is, he isn’t a “man in a suit” as she meets him at a restaurant not in the office. The film goes on with her trying to balance all these men which include her boss Tom (Michael McMillian, True Blood), her co-worker Seth (Matt Dallas, Kyle XY) and the guy she meets at the restaurant, Liam (Chris Carmack, The O.C.) and of course getting all tied up and going over her head to the point that the focus of her article changes.
Khizer’s Review:
The movie was cute. Nothing more, nothing less. From beginning to end, it was cute seeing Lane’s character develop and see her go undercover and work on her story. The movie was engaging enough to make me actually want to yell to the screen telling Lane what and what not to do. As a result, I think it can be said that Hilary’s acting in this film was above par. Although the script was a little redundant and cheesy, Hilary had no blame for that nor did the writers of the script as the movie is actually based on the book “Diary of a Working Girl” by Daniella Brodsky. Hilary shared great chemistry with almost all her co-stars, however what bugged me was the fact that for doing a story on dating men in suits, she only really dated two men in suits, and one of them was her boss, Tom, whom she only really had lunch with. I know this may have been part of the storyline, but I would think that they would have a few more men that she could have dated in her process. As well, for people who are familiar with (and like) Lizzie McGuire, this movie will be a sort-of treat. Throughout the movie, Lane’s character has a voiceover of her inner thoughts, reminiscent to Lizzie McGuire’s alter ego. Having this voice gave the movie a “Lizzie All Grown Up” feel. At first I thought it was a bit cheesy, but by the end of it, I started liking it.
Overall, there’s not much to review on this movie. The storyline is typical and cliche, but that’s what romantic comedies are, as I stated above. For what it was, I think the movie was well done. Hilary definitely showed a mature side of her acting, and it was nice to see her in a romantic comedy geared more towards her older fans. If al else fails, she could create a niche in the romantic comedy genre and could possibly become the next Sandra Bullock or Kate Hudson of the genre. Oh and I must mention, Duff looked beyond gorgeous throughout the movie. Matt Dallas, Michael McMillian, and Chris Carmack were all good in their roles, however Chris Carmack’s British accent in the film was evidently fake. Other notes about the movie; Amanda Walsh (former MuchMusic VJ) was also in the film playing the role of Hilary’s best friend, and Jennifer Coolidge (Hilary’s step mom in A Cinderella Story) made a guest appearance.
Final verdict? If you’re into romantic comedies, this won’t be a huge disappointment nor will it raise the bar for future romcom’s. If you’re into Duff, this movie will be a treat for everyone. Or if you’re simply looking to pass time, this movie will do the trick. If romantic comedies aren’t your thing, I wouldn’t recommend watching this one as it won’t sell you on the genre. Basically what I’m trying to say is, the movie was a good watch for a TV movie and that is about all.
Khizer’s rating: 3 stars
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