Mr. Fix It (2006, R)

Available until 10/9/12.

David Boreanaz (from such TV series as Bones, Angel, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays Lance Valenteen, a man who hires himself out to date other guys' ex girlfriends and act like a jerk until the gal goes running back to the guy.  To his credit, he only takes on cases where the guy is genuinely in love with the girl and he makes damn sure that's the case before he starts.  So it's kind of like Hitch but in reverse (film with Eva Mendes and Will Smith, and very good).  As I've said in previous reviews, I'm a fan of Joss Whedon (and therefore the Buffy and Angel series) so seeing Boreanaz on screen reminds me of the joy I had seeing the intrigue and humor of his other roles, but I have to admit that his performance wasn't particularly stellar in this film.  In fact no actor really wowed me here, but they were not particularly bad either.  Boreanaz's performance was actually pretty comparable to in Angel and not quite up to in Bones (I guess a couple of years of experience do pay off).

As you might have deduced, this movie is a romantic comedy.  It was plenty silly at times, and at other times crept a little north of silly but not quite into over-the-top territory, though it was not non-stop humor (you get a break in there).  I was surprised that it's rated R because wasn't violent at all, harsh language was noticeably avoided, and the only "sex" scene involved two completely clothed people (no zippers open or anything).  One of Mr. Fix It's ground rules that he tells to his clients is that he will not have sex with their exes.  Early in the film, the level of silliness was established and it didn't really deviate too much, and I never found it off-putting as I (as a man) am at risk for when watching a rom-com (but don't get me wrong, there are occasional rom-coms that I can enjoy.  Don't tell anyone I said that).

The story is about Lance's newest case.  He says he's incapable of falling in love, so he doesn't think he's any worse off for spending his "dating" time working on other people's relationships.  His true passion is car racing, and he hopes to get into the professional circuit.  But he needs to fix his car up first and this new case could pay for it.  The woman this case is (surprise, surprise) a knockout.  There was one "twist" that I saw coming a mile away (though I'll not spoil it, just in case) and one that actually surprised me.  Good for you, Mr. Fix It!  Lance takes his car to a garage in a retirement community that is run by a trio of older men.  These guys are pretty much the heart of the movie if not the (main) focus.  They are quite lively and charming, and make up for Lance's apparent lack of interest in women.  Among the trio was Paul Sorvino, who you might know from Goodfellas.

I liked the film, but not enthusiastically so.  Overall I'd think this is a good compromise movie for a couple to watch.  Sir, you could do far worse than this as far as chick-flicks go (yeah, I'd call it a chick flick), and you may even enjoy yourself.  Madam, don't be off-put by the fact that the main character is tricking women (he's actually trying to show them that their ex is not as bad as they thought), and by the end you'll realize this movie is for you more than for a guy.  Neither of you needs to step over an old woman to grab this movie off the shelf (besides, you can... you know... stream it) but if you just want to sit back and chill with a decent flick, this can be that flick.