McConaughey doesn't pull off Connor's transformation the film's climax feels perfunctory and unconvincing. He's fine playing nasty Scrooge, but the scenes in which he romances Jennifer Garner aren't endearing. For some reason, the actor has gained the reputation of being an effective rom-com leading man, but he often seems more creepy than charismatic. The problem is McConaughey, who is about as romantic as Alistair Sim. And the movie delights in making a direct reference to "A Christmas Carol" after Connor awakens from his night of ghostly visitations. The Ghost of Girlfriends Past glibly breaks the fourth wall when introducing a montage set to "Time After Time." Both Anne Archer and Michael Douglas have dialogue to savor. The screenplay, with apologies (one would hope) to Dickens, and credited to the duo of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, includes enough sharp lines to keep it from becoming too sentimental. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past doesn't break new ground, but it at least adds a little flavor to the stale staple of old flames reconnecting when one realizes his/her true feelings for the other. Finally, there's the mute Ghost of Girlfriends Future (Olga Maliouk), who does a lot of pointing and shows Connor some ugly things, like his tombstone and Jenny married to another guy. Then there's the Ghost of Girlfriends Present (Noureen DeWulf), who lets Connor know that all is not as it seems. The next visitor is the Ghost of Girlfriends Past (Emma Stone), who takes Connor on a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane. First comes Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), Connor's former partner in womanizing, who arrives to prepare his nephew for what is to come. On the night before the wedding, he is visited by four ghosts. Of course, Connor has long since repressed his feelings for Jenny and the two of them spend their time together lobbing insults at one another. Also a member of the wedding party is a face from Connor's past: his One True Love, Jenny (Jennifer Garner). Despite having an almost evangelical opposition to marriage, Connor has shown up for the nuptials of his younger brother, Paul (Breckin Meyer), who is about to be married to Bridezilla Sandra (Lacey Chabert). No cuddling and especially no spooning ("forking is so much more enjoyable"). He is as indiscriminate as they come, having sex with anyone possessing a vagina, but he never stays for a moment longer than is necessary. Connor is the ultimate love-'em-and-leave-'em ladies' man. It's not Christmas and "Scrooge" is named Connor Mead (last name presumably named after ye olde alcoholic beverage). The Dickens elements elevate Ghosts of Girlfriends Past above the level of pure formula unfortunately, the presence of McConaughey in full sleaze mode makes it difficult to like this film's Scrooge, even after his redemption occurs. The idea behind Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is at least intriguing: take a standard-order romantic comedy and overlay it with a popular classic (something that happens with Shakespeare on a regular basis). but neither is it as bad as it could have been. The result is not as good as it should be. The script wasn’t doing anyone any favors, but there are at least a solid set of sidekicks in Zoey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, and Bradley Cooper (the latter in their pre- Hangover days).What happens when Hollywood marries Charles Dickens, that wacky 19th century romantic comedy scribe, to Matthew McConaughey, that wacky naked bongo drum player? To begin with, great expectations should be curbed. The lackluster follow-through is also an issue, as Tripp’s family resolves to tie him up and force his reconciliation with Paula, a plot device of which most fanfiction writers would steer clear. Instead, where the film falls apart is the absurd amount of physical comedy (there’s a truly odd amount of comic animal attacks in this movie, featuring a dolphin, chipmunk, lizard, and a mockingbird). Paula’s (Parker) business of romancing adult men out of their parents’ homes may be a bit harebrained, but it’s not the silliest meet-cute in rom-com history. Sarah Jessica Parker is a put-together professional "life coach" pitted against McConaughey’s overgrown man child. The mismatched romantic leads in Failure to Launch works ever so slightly better than in Ghosts, because here, at least it’s on purpose.
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