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Just My Luck

4/10

Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Samaire Armstrong, Faizon Love, Missi Pyle, Bree Turner, McFly

Director: Donald Petrie

As a child actress and sub-teen star, auburn-haired, gruff-voiced Lindsay Lohan had a vivacity and dynamism that marked her out as someone special.

Recent vehicles have made the sparky redhead seem more ordinary; at its best her material has been fluffy and inconsequential. Lohan continues her quest for adult stardom in this painfully unsuccessful Doris Day-style romantic comedy (no, strike that; Doris would have rejected this script outright) about a PR account exec whose luck is all good until she kisses a stranger (Pine) whose luck is all bad.

The switch that follows never convinces as entertainment, and it's as if the film has been stopped in its tracks: it was much more fun when Lohan was rising to the top and Pine sinking to the bottom.

Director Donald Petrie can raise few laughs thereafter (and having the microphone in shot doesn't help), as Lohan is compelled to accept Pine's old menial job cleaning out toilets.

Lohan herself just doesn't have the personality at this stage of her career to carry the rickety venture off: better luck next time.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: 20th Century Fox. Color by De Luxe.
103 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

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

Review date: 09 Jul 2006