Laws of Attraction (2004)

For comedy, director Peter Howitt relies on halfhearted slapstick as the script contains little of the sharp dialogue one might expect from a script written at least in part by Harling ("Steel Magnolias," "Soapdish").

While slight comic concoction is so airy it seems in danger of floating right off the screen, the pleasant retro vibe and a handful of effervescent moments carry this film no self-respecting heterosexual male would dare see except on a date.

Our counselors' lawyer-ese is illegally bland, and their committee-penned banter meticulously Botoxed.

Operates on such outdated, unimaginative conventions of movie chemistry that Moore and Brosnan end up appearing older and stodgier than necessary.

Laws of Attraction is a standard-issue romantic comedy that's missing a key ingredient: the attraction.