Something Borrowed is one of the most contrived, unfunny, and unrealistic endeavours to be produced in quite some time. Here’s a romantic comedy that doesn’t offer a lick of genuine sentiment, nor a good laugh. But after years of rom-com banality, that should hardly come as a surprise.
The film follows humble New York City lawyer Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), who on her 30th birthday, finds herself in bed with her long-time crush Dex (Colin Egglesfield). The problem? Dex is just months away from marrying her outgoing best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson), who has asked Rachel to be her maid of honour. Add to this generic love triangle Rachel’s compassionate best friend Ethan (John Krasinski), top it off with a glut of cringe-worthy scenarios, and there you have it: a dull and uninspired entry into the declining rom-com genre.
So what, exactly, makes director Luke Greenfield’s latest effort so odious? Perhaps it’s the insincere monologues about ‘love’ and ‘speaking your mind’ one must repeatedly endure throughout the film. Or maybe it’s the sickly sweet score by Alex Wuman. It might also be the climactic sequence that could be confused for a segment on the Jerry Springer Show. The answer? All of the above.
Had any of these characters just sat down and had an honest conversation with one another, Greenfield’s picture mightn’t have been so intolerable. Yet screenwriter Jennie Snyder can’t muster up a single moment of authenticity within the film’s laborious 112 minute runtime, let alone any semblance of wit. The blame also lies with author Emily Griffin, whose novel of the same name is the source of these maddeningly self-pitying (Rachel) or self-absorbed (Darcy) characters, none of whom justly deserve to find love come the closing credits.
Ultimately, Something Borrowed boils down to one of the most unpleasant cinematic experiences I’ve endured in this year. Despite a couple of passable performances from Goodwin and Krasinski, there’s nothing that can save this wreck from sinking.
