four and a half stars

My Best Friends Girl is a classic romantic comedy with an edge. Alexis (Kate Hudson) is casually dating her coworker Dustin (Jason Biggs). He falls completely in love with her but she is looking at him as more of a friend. Dustin hires his friend and roommate Tank Turner (Dane Cook) to take her on the worst date of her life so she will come running back. Tank, realizing that he has a talent for being a jerk, has made this into a career. On his date with Alexis, he pulls out all the stops, but nothing seems to push her over the edge. At the end of the night, she invites him up to her apartment but he doesn’t go. He knows she is his best friend’s girl and tries to walk away, but he starts to fall for her and can’t stay away. After Dustin finds out that they have been seeing each other, Tank goes to see his dad (Alec Baldwin) for some advice. His dad, a compulsive womanizer, explains why things didn’t work out with his mom; she was the best he could do but she could do better. Tank, accepting that things were the same for him and Alexis, goes out of his way to ruin things. After he succeeds in driving her away he finds that he can’t live without her, but can he get her back after all he’s done? Well, it is a romantic comedy.

This movie was very fun and entertaining, I was sure that Tank couldn’t go further with his antics but he always did. Even at his worst, you couldn’t help but root for him to get the girl. Lizzy Caplan was perfect (and amusing) as Alexis’ roommate. Filmed in Massachusetts, Director Howard Deutch (The Whole Ten Yards) really captures the beauty of the Northeast. You knew you were in New England as soon as he turned the cameras on the Brownstones. Rated R for strong language and sexual content throughout, including graphic dialogue and some nudity.