Even the dead can laugh (Over Her Dead Body (DVD))

Member Name: Ailran

Product:	Over Her Dead Body (DVD)
Date:	15/01/09 (148 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Paul Rudd, a fun stupid idea

Disadvantages: Eva Longoria Parker

Over Her Dead Body is a romantic comedy starring Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell. As a romantic comedy it follows a pretty standard plot structure, just like you would expect, and hope for from a romcom.
There is nothing at all wrong with that, even with its predictable storylines I consider Romcoms amongst my favourite genre of movies.

OHDB starts of at the wedding of Kate (Longoria) and Henry (Rudd). Kate is stressed and wants everything to be perfect. An argument with the ice sculptor about his 'ice angel' leads to her being crushed by it when it falls on top of her.

One year later and Henry's sister Chloe is trying to get him out and about and over the tragic circumstances of his fiancées death. Henry is still moping about it and hasn't moved on. She decides to take him to a psychic so that he can talk to Kate and hopefully get some sort of resolution.

Ashley (Bell), the psychic, tries to help but it is obvious Henry doesn't believe in psychics, but even so there is a connection between the two of them and very soon they are seeing each other more and more.
That's when Kate turns up again, as a ghost. She is determined to make sure Ashley doesn't get her hands on Henry and will do whatever it takes to stop her.

With the plot all set up like this you just know you are going to get crazy antics and comedy all through the story and while this is the case, and OHDB is very lightweight all round, it is also extremely enjoyable.
This is in no uncertain terms due to the presence of Paul Rudd, one of my favourite comedy stars in films today. I love this guy, even in really crap films like Anchorman he stands out. He is best known as Mike from Friends but has starred in numerous comedies. He was the best character in Knocked Up and his comedic timing and acting is always spot on, whether he has a major role or if he just has a small one. You know, or at least I do, that when you see his name in the cast list you are going to see a top notch performance that will be worth seeing however bad the actual film is, and this time he gets to be great in a frothy fun romantic comedy that while not a classic is better than most. His on screen chemistry with Lake Bell is a big part of what makes OHDB so pleasurable to watch.

Eva Longoria Parker may get top billing but Rudd, Bell and even Jason Biggs for that matter push her out of the limelight. Biggs plays Ashley's partner in her catering business and her gay best friend. He is way over the top but very funny with it, he shows how much he has matured since his days in American Pie. Yes the character is very much suited to how an audience would expect a Jason Biggs character to be playing but there is more of a depth to his acting this time around. As a supporting character he takes us away from the three main people in the film, bringing a different style to comedy elements in the rest of the film.

Eva Longoria Parker though shows nothing at all to explain why she is a star and especially while she gets top billing. She shows very little ability at all, at least in comedy terms.

OHDB has a good look to it, full of nice bright colours and scenery, and has a director who may not be showy or the kind of person you notice because of the flashy effects but instead concentrates on making sure the film and the stars not only look good but that the flimsy, crazy story moves along at a brisk pace, keeping the smile on your face.

For some reason OHDB was not treated well by the press, it got very few good reviews from them and I don't really see why. Yes it has a bland, unfunny lead but the other main cast members and an amusing premise more than make up for that.
Its not going to be one that will stand out in your mind but it will amuse you enough that you will not mind seeing it again and again, and of course it has Paul Rudd in it!

Summary: A fun Romcom that will live up to your expectations of the genre