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Ugly Truth, The

5/10

Stars: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Eric Winter, Bree Turner, Nick Searcy, John Michael Higgins, Cheryl Hines

Director: Robert Luketic

A late-night lads' film with a Hollywood gloss, plus Heigl and Butler talking dirty but otherwise making like Doris Day and Rock Hudson 50 years on.

Heigl's a TV producer who finds herself attracted to her new neighbour (Winter) at the same time as she has to take on a maverick TV frontman (Butler), who sexually tells it like it is - that's the 'ugly truth' of the title - and sends ratings soaring. No prizes for guessing the eventual development of the plot, which is even flatter than in the similar love-hate relationship of What Happens in Vegas.

Heigl is indisputably the most beautiful woman on the Hollywood scene and, if she cares to continue disporting herself in such fluff, it probably won't do her career much harm. Butler has a reasonable go at the rough-and-ready role, while Winter is as bland as is required as the inevitable fall guy. The in-your-face dialogue does little to dispel the film's retro feel.

David Quinlan

USA 2009. UK Distributor: Sony (Columbia). Colour by deluxe.
101 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 31 Jul 2009