Karnataka - Bangalore

Not much like heaven

Just Like Heaven (English)

Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Bill Ruffalo

LET ME get the plot out of the way because that explains everything else.

Just Like Heaven is your typical disembodied-spirit-finding-soul-mate story.

Ghostly occupant

David Abbot (Mark Ruffalo) moves into a new apartment to discover an uninvited ghostly occupant (Reese Witherspoon).

He soon finds that she isn't dead yet, just lying in coma while her spirit somehow attaches itself to Ruffalo.

I'm not going to say it out loud, but no prizes for guessing how this ends.

Just Like isn't as horrible as some of the films out recently, such as Truth About Love or In Her Shoes.

Fairly realistic

Both Ruffalo and Witherspoon are fairly realistic, managing just enough emotion required for a romantic comedy these days.

The other characters are stereotyped - there's the over-amorous neighbour, the scum-of-the-earth colleague and the stoned but incredibly insightful spirit guide - but you can't really expect much more from a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. While the story takes all the predictable twists and turns, and we've seen it all in at least a dozen other films, I have to admit that it is mildly engaging, like something you might watch if you stumbled over it while channel surfing.

Bearable

And the fact that this film is shot in San Francisco with the occasional shot of the city that gets your heart warmed up makes this film more bearable.

Whether you should watch Just Like Heaven depends largely on how you're feeling at the time.

If you're repulsed by the "season of love" we're now neck deep in, don't bother.

But, if you think pink heart-shaped balloons and cotton candy are "cho chweet," you might actually find yourself rooting for the couple.

Either way, you won't remember much of the film seconds after you leave the theatre.

Just Like Heaven is just that adequate, and that's what makes it just that forgettable.

Rakesh Mehar

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