In Her Shoes

6.5/10. Watched this yesterday evening on DVD.

I'm fascinated by the career of director Curtis Hanson, who after a string of thrillers (including The Bedroom Window and Bad Influence) leapt onto the A-list with the Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential. Since then he's been exploring various genres, moving from quirky comedy Wonder Boys to rap drama 8 Mile to this so-called "chick flick".

In Her Shoes is a sincere and intelligent movie, with three strong lead performances (I think I'm finally convinced that Cameron Diaz can act). And although the presentation is all gloss, for most of its running time, the characters are allowed to drive the action in a way that feels largely consistent with reality.

Too bad, then, that this is a $30-million Hollywood movie rather than a $5-million independent one. During its final half-hour, In Her Shoes is taken over by plot contrivances, pat resolutions and a dictatorial score. An indie version, less obsessed with appealing to the largest possible audience, could've allowed its characters to drive the action till the end.