Plan B for Love

In recent months it has been surprisingly quiet around Jennifer Lopez, both musically and in the cinema. Now the fiery Latina is back with the romantic comedy "Plan B for Love", which immediately made it to the top of the movie charts in the US. With director Alan Poul, who has already been responsible for the great series "Six Feet under" and screenwriter Kate Angelo, who was able to gain experience in comedy with the popular sitcom "Will & Grace", the conditions for a successful romantic comedy are virtually guaranteed. The end result, however, turns out surprisingly bland in just this respect.

Lopez here plays Zoe, a New Yorker who, in her early 30s (which you can't really take from Ms. Lopez), still hasn't started a family. The reason for this is the permanent absence of the right man by her side. And since Zoe doesn't want to wait any longer for Mr. Right, she takes matters into her own hands and decides to undergo artificial insemination. But as fate would have it, she meets the charming and handsome Stan (Alex O`Loughlin), who Zoe falls head over heels in love with. It begins a fairytale romance that could be so beautiful, would not grow in Zoe's belly the baby of an unknown donor. How will Stan react to this revelation? Is there even a chance for love under these different circumstances?

The basic idea of "Plan B for Love" is actually quite nice. And with Jennifer Lopez and Alex O`Loughlin an attractive couple was found for the realization. It's just too bad that Alan Poul doesn't succeed in exploiting the comedic potential of the story with the best will in the world. However, this is not only due to his awkward staging, in which the actors seem to have never heard of subtle play, but also to the shockingly unfunny script. Here, every potentially good gag is given away for a hackneyed cornball, and any hint of charm or originality is nipped in the bud.

Which is not to say that there aren't any successful moments. Certainly, one or the other scene may well meet with the approval of fans of the subject. But unfortunately, these moments are so rare that they threaten to get completely lost in the shuffle of scenes that don't work as well. But what almost outweighs the fact that this romantic comedy isn't actually funny is that it doesn't come across as particularly romantic either. The scenes that are supposed to give off a hint of romance are so clichéd that you almost want to call it silly.

Surely, too much shouldn't be expected from a movie like this anyway. Fans of romantic comedies should just be entertained well, if somewhat shallowly, and get exactly what they should expect from their favorite genre. And to some extent, "Plan B for Love" accomplishes that task quite well. But the overall picture, even considering the great creative potential in front of and behind the camera, is rather disappointing, so unfortunately the only conclusion that can be recommended is Plan A: pick a different movie for your next cinema visit. This one is at most recommended for a nice DVD evening!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp