SHALLOW HAL

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Jason Alexander and Tony Robbins
Writers/Directors: Bobby Farrelly & Peter Farrelly
Running Time: 91 mins
Certificate: 12

Out to buy on DVD 18th November

Hal (Black) has a problem when it comes to women, he will only give them the time of day if they look like models. This all changes when he is trapped in an elevator with Self-Help Guru Tony Robbins. Tony sees that Hal is not a bad person but he is just a little shallow, so he gives him a gift. This gift will allow his to see a person's inner-beauty, what they are truly like inside. After this he meets Rosemary (Paltrow), an extremely beautiful woman who instantly captures his heart, but what he doesn't see is that she really weighs 300lb.

Coming from the Farrelly Brothers, the men who grossed us out with films like Dumb & Dumber and There's Something about Mary, you won't expect something this tame. Have they finally grown consciences? On the evidence of this movie I'd say yes, they must have thought that taking the mickey out of overweight people was a line that they really just couldn't cross. Yes there is the usual large food order, collapsing furniture and big underwear gags but nothing to truly offend, which is in the end their trademark. This makes the movie extremely disappointing and turns into a run of the mill Hollywood romantic comedy.

Jack Black seems rather restrained in his performance, whether it was the pressure of his first leading role or the limitations of the script we will never know. Gwyneth Paltrow is on autopilot, only having to look beautiful for three quarters of the movie and then looking particularly unbelievable in the fat-suite in the end sequences.

What we end up with is a film that never really delivers on the big laughs, as the Farrelly Brother's earlier work did in abundance, but is more of a light comedy movie with a message. The problem is that there is too much of it and it ends up making you feel bloated.

Audio commentary from the directors, Three featuretters, 11 deleted scenes with optional commentary from the directors, Easter Egg (Hidden Feature), 'HBO Behind The Scenes' programme, Shelby Lynne music video, Theatrical trailer, Interactive menu & Scene access