Good Luck Chuck

Director: Mark Helfrich

Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Folger, Lonny Ross

Meet Chuck. You will get along like a charm... with the next person you will date. For that is Charlie's gift - sleep with him once; and your next guy will be your true love. Obviously, such a gift has its advantages for the bachelor the young man, portrayed by Dane Cook - he gets as many one-night-stands as he wants. But when he meets Cam (Jessica Alba), the downside of his curse becomes more apparent: if he sleeps with her, he will lose her to her next guy. Forever.

With a slightly far-fetched premise, Good Luck Chuck is the occasion for such hilarious comedy moments that it is surprising nobody had thought of it earlier. The film is both a classical romantic comedy insofar as it is built on the same elements (frustration, love, a couple of clichés here and there to make the sauce tastier, a gorgeous lead couple) as most rom-coms (40 year old virgin, 40 days and 40 nights, American Pie, ...) but also novel in several ways - as it takes them to a whole new level, nearly pushing comedy to its limit.

Entertaining on many levels, Good Luck Chuck is featuring a cast which is not only gorgeous, but also talented, breaking a smile on the audience's face more than once throughout the film. The chemistry between Charlie and Cam does not feel forced, and adds a lot to an already great film.

Add to that a nicely done rock soundtrack, and you get an altogether really enjoyable film. Admittedly, like most romantic comedies drawing on the practical humour, it is not the height of the seventh art - but has no pretence to be so; which makes the film a light and laugh-out-loud hour and a half.

Pierre Schramm