Laws of Attraction (1995), a comedy, at least on the surface, is worth viewing. The movie almost blew apart 15 times before it ever premiered. Like The Passion, no one wanted to put money into it, saying people wouldn’t go to see a movie without special effects
The movie is somewhat in the Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy (for example, Adam’s Rib, 1949). The two main characters are divorce lawyers. They appear to be denying a mutual attraction. While in Ireland on a divorce case, they go out drinking. The morning after is “interesting,” to say the least, because they’re now married! They return to America and attempt to play out their marital roles, if only for the benefit of their professional colleagues. Trouble is, somewhere along the way, they’ve fallen in love.
The now-married couple returns to Ireland and discovers that the marriage ceremony was a sham. Pierce Brosnan’s character agrees to a divorce from Julianne Moore’s character, because, he says, that’s what you do for someone you love. Once she comes to her senses, she follows him, admitting her own feelings. Laws of Attraction asks the question: What holds a relationship together? The filmmaker uses his craft to keep the viewer off guard throughout the film – then slams home the message in the last scene. For a relationship to hold, you have to fight for it. So, this presumably “light” comedy has really brought up a whole slew of far weightier issues.
