![]() Still, if one is going to sit through a wedding movie, "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" is far less painful than "Bride Wars." At least there's a little romance served up with this comedy. In fact, the trio who play the bridesmaids are so unlikable they put the bride in a bad light. ![]() With the exception of Douglas, Archer and Stone, the supporting cast - including Robert Forster as Korean War Vet/JP father of the bride, Lacey Chabert as said bride and Meyer - add nothing. Wedding interiors are lit with a golden glow and the camera just loves Garner of the exquisitely expressive face. The film is mostly set at Ipswich, Massachusetts' Crane Estate, (although everything is branded with Uncle Wayne's initials, a lame pun on 'Wayne Manor') and it's a lovely place. Future is dull, but capped with a clever Scrooge riff. There's wedding cake slapstick (and very bad continuity) and 'fun' with grooms and bridesmaids. (And call me crazy, but the shoulder length hair McConaughey sports in this segment suits him.) When we move into the present, guided by assistant Melanie (Noureen DeWulf, "American Dreamz"), the film flatlines again and never really recovers. Thanks to the ghosts of Connors ex-girlfriends - past. Of course, she's blessed with delivering the back story of what happened to Connor and Jennifer's relationship, the meat of the film. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past : Celebrity photographer Connor Mead is a single. Douglas's appearance gives the film a lift and Emma Stone ("The Rocker," "The House Bunny") as Allison Vandermeersh, the ghost of girlfriends past, almost makes it bounce for a while. His boorish behavior at his brother's rehearsal dinner isn't amusing either, although his attempted pickup of his sister-in-law to-be's mother, Vonda (Anne Archer, "Patriot Games," "Man of the House"), has a little spark, mostly due to Archer (and the fact that Connor may be sexist, but at least he's not ageist). Connor has his assistant video conference his last three dates so he can 'group dump' them as his current hookup looks on (and stays!). None of them arrive in the film's set up in which we're to believe that a famous photographer comes into a shoot where everything is so prearranged he literally just presses the button on the camera. It's mostly just there and is unevenly paced, but has a few moments. That said, "Ghosts of Girlfriends" past is better than getting poked in the eye with a stick. ![]() Then one notes that "Ghosts" was written by the duo behind "Four Christmases" and one's expectations sink again. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love.or if he really is the lost cause everyone thinks he is.Movies starring Matthew McConaughey generally don't inspire much hope for anything resembling quality, or, even, entertainment, but Jennifer Garner is always likeable and director Mark Waters ("Mean Girls," "The Spiderwick Chronicles") has a pretty good track record. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships—past, present and future. About General Disdain Im an old, miserable fart set in his ways. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor's mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul's wedding. ![]() Reviews Gone With The Twins Mike Massie At times, it's almost self-aware that it's a movie, taking poignant themes less than seriously. Celebrity photographer Connor Mead ( Matthew McConaughey) loves freedom, fun and women.in that order. 28 Critics Consensus: A retread of A Christmas Carol, featuring Matthew McConaughey in a retread of his Dazed and Confused role, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past lacks originality, humor, and any semblance of charm.
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