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Review by Dustin Putman
2 stars out of 4
In today's technologically advanced world, where Palm Pilots and Blackberry's
have only come to be widely acknowledged and used in recent years
and the Internet is at virtually everyone's fingertips, it is much
easier to dig up otherwise secretive information about anybody you're
interested in learning about. This notion is at the forefront of "Little
Black Book," directed by Nick Hurran, a comedy-drama that is innocuous
for its first hour until it switches gears into cloying meanspiritedness
just in time for its all-wrong climax. That the final scenes are handled
with equal parts gentle truthfulness and feel-good charm is appreciated,
but this positive reversal comes too late to undo the damage that has already been done.
Stacy Holt (Brittany Murphy) is a bright, still-wet-behind-the-ears
dreamer who is delighted when she is hired to become an associate
producer for a New Jersey-based, exploitative "Jerry Springer"-inspired
daytime talk show hosted by Kippie Kann (Kathy Bates). Her promising
gig at the show coincides with boyfriend Derek (Ron Livingston) leaving
town on business. Having found out Derek was once in a relationship
with a former guest on the show, bulimic model Lulu Fritz (Josie Maran),
Stacy is uncontrollably curious to find out about her cagey boyfriend's
past loves. With the help of savvy co-worker Barb (Holly Hunter) and
the information he has stored on his Palm Pilot, Stacy goes against
her better judgment to track down Derek's ex-girlfriends and, by using
the talk show as a ruse, interview them. Soon she is in way over her
head, discovering sympathy in her heart for these women, particularly
friendly chef Joyce Adams (Julianne Nicholson), and realizing that
messing with their private lives can only end badly.
There may be something insightful to say about the relationship topics
on display here, but "Little Black Book," unfortunately, is not that
film. It also attempts to make a statement about the potentially dangerous
manipulation behind reality television, but confuses perception with
sheer cruelty. Before the picture does this, however, in a third-act
centerpiece that is woefully hateful and unnecessary, "Little Black
Book" is mostly just uninteresting fluff. As a playful comedy, the
laughs are, by and large, stale, sexually-laced throwaways. And as
a romance, there is none. For a film centering on a young woman's
snooping to find out about a boyfriend she supposedly loves, the relationship
between Stacy and Derek plays like a weightless afterthought. There
is no connection between the two in their too-few scenes together,
and so the entire premise lacks urgency and a rooting interest. Simply
put, it never seems like anything is at stake for Stacy in regard
to her romance with Derek.
When the finale arrives, exposing some characters to have a different
agenda than expected and exploiting the mistakes Stacy has made, the
light tone is drained out and replaced by something surprisingly ugly
and, in a nutshell, evil. This may be the moralistic point behind
Elisa Bell (2004's "Sleepover") and Melissa Carter's screenplay, but
the very immorality they use in serving it up for viewers is unforgivable
and trite. The same things, concerning the fragility of relationships,
the importance of honesty, and the detestable, shark-infested world
of reality talk shows, could have been attained without making a charade
of the characters and their feelings. When the tone changes yet again
toward maudlin sermonizing, director Nick Hurran goes overboard in
a heedless aim to make what has just come before easier to swallow.
As the ambitious, inquisitive Stacy Holt, Brittany Murphy (2003's
"Uptown Girls") gives it her best shot in making the proceedings palatable.
Murphy again proves she has what it takes to be a leading lady—she
is fresh, quirky, and shrewd in always bypassing the predictable route
to go for something more interesting in her performances. She also
keeps Stacy a likable person even when she is doing the wrong things,
a difficult task that Murphy pulls off. Save for Julianne Nicholson
(1999's "The Love Letter"), quite good as the kindly ex Stacy befriends
even as she betrays her, the rest of the actors are not treated fairly.
Holly Hunter (2003's "Thirteen") has the thankless "best friend" part
until her true colors shine through in the climax, Kathy Bates (2002's
"About Schmidt") is wasted as talk show host Kippie Kann, and Ron
Livingston (2003's "The Cooler") is given the short thrift as the one-dimensional Derek.
The closing of "Little Black Book" makes a valiant effort in saving
the movie as a whole. It is especially refreshing that the end does
not hinge on who Stacy ends up with, but on what she has learned and
how she is going to press on in her life as a wiser person. And the
very last scene, unlikely as it is, is delightfully cute and clever,
making you want to like the movie more than it deserves. The not-so-subtle
allusions to 1988's far superior "Working Girl"—it is one of Stacy's
favorite movies and she is in love with the music of Carly Simon (who
contributes practically the entire soundtrack)—also work effectively
to underscore Stacy's rollercoaster journey.
If there is a reason to see "Little Black Book," it is for the effortlessly
enchanting Brittany Murphy, but that isn't quite reason enough. The
majority of the picture is too misguided and dreary—and yes, needlessly
impertinent—to wade through to get to the good stuff. This is one
"Little Black Book" that should have remained closed.
Copyright © 2004 Dustin Putman
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out of 4
