Coyote Ugly

Violet 'Jersey' Sandford (Peribo) is shy, retiring girl. Having moved to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a songwriter, she is left with next to nothing after a burglary. She finds work as a barmaid at Coyote Ugly, the city's newest and hottest bar, where after a while she begins to come out of her shell. Can she conquer her stage fright with the help of new-found friend Kevin (Garcia)? Can she weather her father's (Goodman) disapproval to win success? Can you believe how formulaic this film sounds?

Coyote Ugly sounds like it only narrowly escaped straight-to-video death. The reason it did was because its producer is none other than trash formula king Jerry Bruckheimer. Admittedly, Coyote Ugly's romantic coming-of-age tale plot does force the film towards that 'good bad' category, but Bruckheimer's slick style rescues it. With a fair bit of help from the eye candy. Eye candy as far as the eye can see.

By now, the guys might be despairing of being dragged off to a soppy romantic tale populated with wholesome Tom Cruise wannabes. Well, yes, there is the delectable Adam Garcia, but did I mention the key feature that makes the Coyote Ugly bar so popular? No? Would you be interested in a film that features women dancing provocatively on bars and occasionally participating in a wet T-shirt contest? Instead of the usual token Bruckheimer blonde, there's a whole film full of them! The film has more energy than all its bar-dancing bunnies put together, and an enormous dollop of catchy-cheesy tunes for them to bump and grind to.

Yes, Coyote Ugly is silly. Yes, it's daft. Yes, it's utterly engaging. And maybe somebody will be inspired to liven up the union bars.

Fletcher Reede