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Because I Said So

2/10

Stars: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Tom Everett Scott, Gabriel Macht, Stephen Collins

Director: Michael Lehmann

Almost as unbearable as Keaton's ever-twittering, interfering mother, this tedious romcom throws the spotlight on Moore, as the youngest of divorcee Keaton's three daughters.

Frightened that her daughter will end up alone like her (surprising, since Moore only looks about 20), Keaton sets her up (after a series of ludicrous nerds from the Internet) with both wealthy architect Jason (Scott - long time, no see) and, almost accidentally, divorced father-of-one Johnny (Macht), a guitar teacher.

Since both men have as much personality as a peeled potato, it's tough to care, although as soon as Johnny's widowed father (Collins) appears on the scene, we can see where this is going, and you could almost write the script yourself from then on.

Keaton, in a role similar but much inferior to the one that won her an Oscar nomination in Something's Gotta Give - 'Mom's ass,' says her masseuse, 'is so tight it's vacuum sealed' - over-compensates for the lack of quality in the script with a frenetic and alienating performance.

Neither she nor Moore can do much with this while, as the older sisters, Piper Perabo (nothing to do) and Lauren Graham (who at least has a part) are anonymous. The film's attempts at an assortment of comic and cosy moments are highly resistible.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: Entertainment. Colour.
102 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

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

Review date: 11 Feb 2007