Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) has lost her job as manager in the lingerie department at Macy’s six months prior. She’s close to being evicted from her apartment and her car was impounded. Desperate for money, she turned to her cousin who ran a bails bond. The only position available was a bounty hunter. She jumped at the opportunity when she sees a bounty is out for her ex-high school fling, Joseph Morelli (Jason O’Mara). They had a memorable night, he never calls, she got revenge and years later Stephanie still has hard feelings and puts all of her energy to capturing him. Of course, Joe doesn’t make it easy for her and while she is chasing him, she is getting closer to solving an ongoing murder case. Is Stephanie in over her head? Will she capture Joe? Is Joe innocent of murder?
Review:
I enjoyed watching this film. Yes, it is a chick-flick but it also has great buildup or suspense. Katherine didn’t play an award winning role because all of her roles are basically the same but I enjoy watching her somewhat bubbly and clumsy personality that tries to prove that she is an independent woman. I haven’t read the books because it is not usually part of my book list but I liked the film so much, I can only imagine the books are great. The chemistry between Stephanie and Joe was electric and playful (as it should) even though she was trying to take him to jail. There’s is not a lot to say about films Katherine is in because they are all the same and should not expect anything different. All in all, I will see this film again. Rating: 3 stars
“One for the Money” is a fun movie. It won’t (and shouldn’t) win any Academy Awards. But it still is one worth watching. In this regard, I generally agree with Ms. Hamilton on this film. However, I think she sells “One for the Money” a little short.
To begin with, the genre of the film is murky. Although Ms Heigl is the queen (or at least the princess) of romantic comedy, “One for the Money” is really a very clever send off of all paperback mysteries you’ve ever read, especially film noir. The first person narration is reminiscent of Raymond Chandler, but what makes it intriguingly humorous is the casting of Katherine Heigl in the lead. She slaps on a decent New Jersey accent, and manages a number of wonderfully self-deprecating digs at herself as a blue collar gal who’d like to be a movie star.
The supporting cast is terrific, and it creates a wonderful problem for the director. We all wanted so much to see more of Stephanie Plum’s family, the bail/bondsman she works for, and the two sassy hookers she befriends, but the pacing was already a little sluggish. The movie was wonderfully written, with great characters presented expertly by some enjoyably hammy performances by the cast, and a somewhat interesting plot that had enough of a mystery to hold our interest, but the direction (pacing, editing, camerawork) was subpar.
As for rating the movie, I hesitate to use the stars on the artistry involved, simply because many enjoyable films are only so-so on that level. I like to say
1 star= avoid this boring mess of a movie at all costs. Reading the dictionary is more entertaining.
2 stars= if you’re in the right mood or if the subject matter appeals to you, you may like this film; or it is uneven, that is, it is at times entertaining and believable and at other times fails. If you’ve got nothing else to do, it’s probably worth the price of admission (at least a matinee).
3 stars= this is a generally good movie that most people will enjoy. If you’re looking for an entertaining couple of hours, spend it here and you won’t be disappointed.
4 stars= don’t miss this film! I don’t care if you have time or not, make the time, because this is terrific.
And so, I, like Ms. Hamilton, will give “One for the Money” 3 stars