The Matchmaker (1997)

THE MATCHMAKER is a relentlessly cheery, only fleetingly funny, and 
ultimately overlong romantic comedy about a brash Bostonian (Jane-
ane Garofalo) who works as a political aide, is sent to Ireland to 
trace her Massachusetts senator's roots, and soon finds herself in 
the middle of a local matchmaking festival.  Though the hearty 
laughs are few and far-between, the scenery is nice and the local 
color plentiful.  (A wee bit *too* plentiful, if you ask me.)  Ms. 
Garofalo, long deserving of bigger roles, could use a better-de-
fined character.  She gets by on adorable charm and, for the first 
half of the movie at least, her trademark sarcastic streak.  (It's 
in the ghastly second hour, when the story takes a dreadful turn 
toward drama, that her wisecracks would be most welcome.)  BTW, 
just how many pop songs were used in place of dialogue, anyway?  
With David O'Hara, Milo O'Shea, Denis Leary, and Jay O. Sanders, 
who we just saw in KISS THE GIRLS.  (Rated "PG-13"/95 min.)

Grade: C

Copyright 1997 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies