Lately, it seems that the terms “bad” and “romantic comedy” can be used interchangeably. Besides ultra-low budget, starless efforts like “Chasing Amy” and “The Daytrippers,” the genre has of late been defined by films like “Sprung.”
“Addicted to Love,” sporting a cast of familiar names (Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick, and Kelly Preston) and a director (Griffen Dunne) whose filmmaking hasn’t yet sunk into an inescapable rut, signals a return of the romantic comedy.
Meg Ryan, who made a name for herself playing somewhat ditsy characters in films like “French Kiss” and “I.Q.,” manages to escape her typecast in “Addicted.” She plays vicious, vengeful Maggie, who is out to get her ex-fionce, Anton (Tcheky Karyo), and will stop at nothing to do so.
Then, she crosses paths with Sam (Matthew Broderick), who desperately wants to reclaim his girlfriend, Linda (Kelly Preston), from Anton, her new boyfriend. At first, Sam is too emotionally distraught to accomplish anything by way of revenge, but before long, Sam and Maggie are working together to break up the happy couple.
It seems rather obvious just from watching a trailer that Sam and Maggie are destined to be together, but “Addicted” does an excellent job of clouding the issue. Sure, there are sparks (would it be a romantic comedy if there weren’t?), but it isn’t nearly as predictable as one might assume.
Some of the revenge scenes in “Addicted” are brilliant. Not only are they executed well, but they are quite imaginative. In one scene, Sam and Maggie pass out pictures of Anton, five dollar bills, and drops of perfume in water guns, instructing children to go after the man in the picture. Needless to say, when Anton gets home, Linda is a little bit suspicious.
I won’t divulge the details of the ending, but it doesn’t disappoint. “Addicted” is quite formulaic, but it differs from the formula just enough to remain interesting. Besides an unfortunate “Lassie” metaphor at the end, it couldn’t have concluded better.
While he is the least known of the four stars in this film, Tcheky Karyo steals the show. He plays everything from debonaire boyfriend to bullying businessman to hopeless crash victim, but always manages to keep his character the bad guy. Everybody else has their moments of goodness, but Anton is just downright evil.
If you’re looking for an alternative to “The Lost World” where fewer people are eaten, the dialogue is believable, and you don’t jump out of your seat every ten minutes, “Addicted to Love” might just be for you.
Grade: A-