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Official Site
Rated PG-13
*1/2 of ****
Length: 99 minutes
Written by Gina Wendkos
Directed by David McNally
Cast:
Piper Perabo: Violet "Jersey" Sanford
Adam Garcia: Kevin O'Donnell
Maria Bello: Lil
Synopsis:
This romantic comedy begins with 21 year old amateur songwriter Violet moving to New York City, from across the Hudson river, to follow her dream of becoming a songwriter for the stars. She has a degree of toughness and knows how to play sweet and innocent when advantageous. Her loving father is still at home near by, so she has an easy escape if she chooses. Her business naiveté shows in her attempts to get a demo tape to anyone important. Being New York City, her apartment is burglarized, and she is left with nothing of any value; the adventure truly begins. By chance, you know the hokey kind that drives many movies, she learns that a lucrative job is becoming available at a place called Coyote Ugly. Violet barely manages to get a job, but she does get some much needed pay. She does learn to open up more at the job, but still can't perform her own songs because of some stage fright. Violet has made a new guy friend Kevin who tries to help expand her horizons and reduce her fear of the stage.
Review:
If you were to believe the advertisements that showed this movie only in terms of attractive provocatively dressed young women grinding away on top of a bar to loud music, then you've been deceived! This sub par movie is actually a comedic chick flick, and not much time is actually spent at the bar. There are plenty of laughs throughout. The character development is limited, and the story shallowly focuses on the development of one stereotypical character; mostly in a romantic light. Everything in this movie could be used in a better version of the story with better development of more genuine characters and better flow in the plot, so it is not a total failure. In fact, it can be entertaining once you're expectations have vanished. There is the challenge of one paradoxical situation, but it isn't earth shattering. There are trashier, less refined movies out there. :( The soundtrack is very upbeat although rehashed, and the energy and silliness at the bar lightens the mood. That is an unusual element in this otherwise flat experience. The acting is simple, but so are the demands. Piper Perabo *drool* as Violet has little chance to demonstrate much in the way of acting skills here, but she does have more opportunities in the works, so her 15 minutes aren't up yet. The proven talent that is here does not have the basic material needed to show their stuff. Adam Garcia as Kevin speaks elegantly with the script's clichés, but the script has his character rambling on like some typical chick flick dufus. His character has always intended to change, but is somehow changed only by meeting Violet. Her change is glossed over, but does have some coverage. This is much too typical of fluffy chick flicks. The manipulation of the plot and the audience is terribly formula, and the elements plugged into the variables aren't anything new.
The attention to the sound level was far better than that video game commercial sometimes known as Star Wars: episode one, but it was still hard to hear some of the bar owner's words when the theater's sound was low enough not to make the bar scenes too loud.
Sound Track: (as released on the soundtrack album)
1. Can't Fight The Moonlight - LeAnn Rimes
2. Please Remember - LeAnn Rimes
3. The Right Kind Of Wrong - LeAnn Rimes
4. But I Do Love You - LeAnn Rimes
5. All She Wants To Do Is Dance - Don Henley
6. Unbelievable - EMF
7. The Power - Snap
8. Need You Tonight - INXS
9. The Devil Went Down To Georgia - The Charlie Daniels Band
10. Boom Boom Boom - Rare Blend
11. Didn't We Love - Tamara Walker
12. We Can Get There - Mary Griffin
not on soundtrack album:
That's Me - Tara MacLean
--Even if you're not sure, just start spraying.--