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Overboard

4/10

Stars: Anna Faris, Eugenio Derbez, Eva Longoria, Swoosie Kurtz, Cecelia Suarez, Emily Maddison, Mel Rodriguez, John Hannah

Director: Rob Greenberg

A role-reversal switch on the Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russell romp of the 1980s. Alas, these Canadian capers bring home little bacon this time around.

There is, however something of the Goldie about comedienne Faris, who gamely throws herself into the role of Kate Sullivan, a widow with three daughters and two jobs, studying to be a nurse in her spare time.

While hoovering a luxury yacht, she has a spat with its owner, dissolute Mexican playboy Leonardo Montenegro (Derbez, at 56 decades too old for the role), who pushes Kate (and her hoover) overboard.

When a drunken Leo himself falls overboard (and loses his memory), Kate spots his picture and launches a plan for revenge, declaring Leo - whom his ambitious sister (Suarez) has refused to recognise - to be her hard-working husband.

Faced with both manual labour and a bed in the shed (don't ask), Leo eventually knuckles down, even taking up cookery. This lengthy section is the best in the film, as Kate and the girls both gradually fall in love with this new Leo.

Derbez is pretty awful when he's the playboy, but improves as the film goes on. Things, however, go downhill again at the end, not helped by an over-acting support cast, headed by Hannah, and by some dreadful scenes alongside the credits at the end. It has its moments, but overall they don't add up to enough.

David Quinlan

Canada/USA 2018. UK Distributor: Vertigo (MGM). Colour by efilm/Print by Technicolor.
111 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

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

Review date: 17 Jun 2018