Ageing rom- com is past expiry date

There's a reason some movies skip the usual theatre route and release directly to DVD in the US. But as the unsuspecting international audience, we're forced to face duds like I Could Never Be Your Woman in cinemas as part of a ploy for the producers to break even.

The rom-com stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Rosie, a 40-year-old writer/ producer of a teenage television drama. The fear of growing too old for her own job, and more importantly, romance, makes her an unhappy camper.

Things liven up when 29-year-old Adam (Paul Rudd) auditions for a part on the show and for a role in Rosie's humdrum life. The two fall in love. But the age gap (have the script-writers not heard of Liz Taylor and Demi Moore?) forces the pair to crack under societal pressure. On paper, this sounds like a plausible plot. Unfortunately for director Amy Heckerling, the heavy usage of clichés only end up patronising the viewers.

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