What if finding the love of your life meant changing the life that you loved?
Alex Whitman (Matthew Perry) is a straight-laced corporate-type from Manhattan. Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek) is a fiery Mexican-American who believes in the power of destiny. Neither gave a thought to where a single night of passion would lead but the whims of chance had other ideas. When they meet three months later, she's pregnant and they decide to get married. It's a long way from Manhattan to Las Vegas but Alex is beginning to think it was worth the trip. Fools rush in tells the funny, romantic story of fated lovers trying their luck at the world's oldest game: love.
Special Agent Matti
A romantic comedy that's really for the 90s even though no-one was on roller blades.
Actually it was surprisingly funny, Matthew Perry especially (although I have it on good authority that he's cuter on TV than on film). He has that geeky quality that really goes a long way towards making a successful romantic comedy. Geeky, endearing, cute, and emotional. Salma Hayek is the perfect contrast and perfectly cast: dark, moody, sexy, hot tempered, but emotional, too. Their characters interact very well, clashing culturally, emotionally, spiritually, you name it. You want them to get together because they are perfect for each other, not just so that the movie can end and you can go home and play on your computer.
Being a generic film, however, means that it suffers from genericisms (don't you just love making up new words?). The spiritual Mexican great grandmother, the lusty lawyer/best friend, the bitchy, less-pretty flat/workmate. Fortunately in this film they're like the middle bun of a Big Mac: you'd never eat it on its own, but the burger is somehow lacking without it. While not being a particularly special movie, it is what it is and it does it well.
Watch out for Alex's mother Nan (Jill Clayburgh) on the boat: scene stealer from hell.
M (Low level coarse language)
105 minutes (1:45 hours)
VHS retail: 7 April 1999
DVD rental: 30 April 2002
