New In Town (Monday, July 6, 2009) (86)

I guess all actors need to make a living - and somehow Renée Zellweger falls into that category of 'actor'.

I can't figure out if this movie pisses me off because it is frustratingly anti-feminist just because it's plain stupid. Either way, it's totally banal and dim.

Dumb story: Zellweger lives in Miami and moves to Minnesota to work in a food packaging plant for her heartless company. She immediately missteps with them by insulting them and saying horrible things. The she falls in love with hottie Harry Connick, Jr. who is also the union rep. Then her company decides to close down the plant and everyone hates her. Then she figures out a way of making tapioca pudding in the plant to keep all the jobs - and everyone loves her and she and Harry screw on the plant floor... er....

I felt the director (it doesn't even matter, but his name is Jonas Elmer and this is his first American picture - congratulations, dude) forced down our throats that she was super duper skinny and much skinnier than those funny-speaking people up north who wear lots of wool and eat pudding. She gets ahead in life by being a bitch and not making friends - all the while dressing like a million bucks - even when it's not totally appropriate. There's something faintly Sarah Palin about her (or maybe Palin is just on my mind) - but the way that she is blood-thirsty and thinks that the only way to play with the boys is to castrate and be mean to the boys, while using her sexiness to throw them off their games is very reminiscent of the Alaska governor.

With all the stupidity around, there are some good supporting actors, including HCJ, J.K. Simmons (who is always great) and Frances Conroy (who is also always great). Still, they can't save a really bad movie whose moral is you catch more flies with honey (or tapioca) than you do with vinegar... very original. The other moral is that if the union rep is not a hunk and can't sing real good, then being a bitch is totally cool.

Stars: .5 of 4