mark.waltz Two rival divorce attorneys (Piercw Brosnan and Julianne Moore) start off their love/hate professional relationship on a Tracy/Hepburn like "Woman of the Year" style comedy. Unlike that classic battle of the sexes, this works best before they take their relationship past professional. She's smug and conniving in her attempts to win cases, but he's far more clever and sly. It goes from Manhattan divorce courts to an Irish wedding (in Ireland) and by the time a shocking plot development occurs, it's lost a good deal of its sense of fun, and seems to be closer to "Taming of the Shrew" than "State of the Marital Union".At times, this is extremely clever and filled with surprises but suddenly becomes a traditional romantic comedy where the spark dilutes as the romance progresses. Brosnan is better at romantic comedy than Moore is, although she at times looses the uncomfortable feeling she seems to gain in certain amusing circumstances. Frances Fisher is delightfully sardonic as Moore's youth craving mother, and Nora Dunn gets laughs simply for a single tart word followed by her gavel whack as the divorce court judge. I had high hopes for this after a great start, but for the most part, it seems to fizzle after its half way mark, especially when Moore and Brosnan end up going toe to toe after an "Adam's Rib" like involvement in a divorce case concerning a rather untalented rock star.

Michael_Elliott Laws of Attraction (2004) ** (out of 4) Audrey Woods (Julianne Moore) is a very successful divorce attorney who spends most of her nights alone in her apartment eating junk food. Whenever she does get out of the house she's usually with her aging mother (Francis Fisher) who has had a few too many operations done to make her look younger. Audrey swears up and down that she isn't afraid of relationships but instead just can't get involved because she's too busy with her clients' needs.While taking on a major divorce case she meets her new opposing attorney, the very handsome Daniel Rafferty (Pierce Brosnan) who has yet to lose a case. The two don't strike it off too well but their jobs force them into a business dinner where they end up having too much to drink and eventually falling into bed. Audrey blames the booze but Daniel seems to want a relationship but when their case starts to break up so does the relationship. Soon the New York media has a spotlight on the two most powerful divorce attorneys who seem to be having their own fights behind the scenes.For starters let's get some personal feelings out into the air. To me, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were the greatest on-screen duo in the history of film. Their romantic comedies ranging from Adam's Rib to my personal favorite Woman of the Year are among the greatest films ever made and when watching this Adam's Rib wannabe I couldn't help but notice these romantic comedies haven't changed in sixty plus years. Once again we get an attractive couple fighting, screaming, fighting some more and then realizing they are in love.I'm certainly not a sourpuss but my God, could writers try to come up with at least one original idea when doing these types of films? Perhaps this genre has just been beaten to death so bad that those watching these films want the fighting then at the last minute makeup but to me watching films like this are becoming a very tiresome chore because by the time the opening credits are over there's really no point in watching the film because it's something you've seen countless times before. I'm not saying one should kill the other's family at the end of the movie but please, offer at least one thing that differs from the other twenty romantic comedies that are released each year.Is Laws of Attraction a horrible movie? No, none of these films ever are but I don't see the point in watching the same thing over and over. The only difference in these types of films are the leading actors and the success of raising the screenplay out of boredom lies on their shoulders. Pierce Brosnan is a very charming actor and certainly the best thing going for this film. He isn't offered much to do but he's charm and smile at least bring some freshness to this overdone film. Julianne Moore on the other hand has always left a sore spot with me. To me, Moore can either be brilliant or fall flat on her face and that's exactly what she does her. She brought nothing new to her character and didn't have half the charm of Brosnan.With the all too familiar story and the lack of any real chemistry between the stars there really isn't much left in the film. Francis Fisher is wasted in the tired role of an old hag who is constantly giving advice in between her plastic surgeries. Parker Posey, a wonderful character actress, comes off looking very bad in the role of a divorcée who has nothing to do but keep asking Brosnan to cut her husband's balls off. That certain male part is also a constant running joke throughout the movie and not once did it make me laugh or smile, which is a shame because I enjoy private jokes. In the end, if you walk into your local rental store and see Laws of Attraction on the shelf, run towards the classics area and pick up Adam's Rib or Woman of the Year.

bob the moo Audrey Woods is one of the best, nay, THE best divorce attorney in town. She has never lost a case and she is about to continue that winning streak with her latest case. When she meets her opposing counsel she has no reason to think that this scruffy man poses any threat to her. When he hands her her ass she steps up the competition and so begins a tense relationship in the courtroom. However outside of the court, the couple find a certain chemistry growing between them but surrounded by so many divorces and arguments how could anything good come of it?Billed as a big name romantic comedy in the mould of sparky screwball romances of the forties and fifties this comedy at times is great fun but at others falls terribly flat. Given what it was basing itself of it should be no surprise that the first half is the best with energetic duelling between the two leads. Later on the script has to deliver a believable romance out of this and here is where it really falters. It suddenly becomes this twinkly affair in Ireland where love blooms, although it doesn't really although it might. It is a difficult hurdle to get over and the film doesn't really manage it and the final third is deeply unconvincing and hard to care about as it mugs its way towards the inevitable conclusion. It is strange that McKenna's script is so slick when it is in the "banter" stage but so heavy with syrup and silly cliché towards the end, almost like all the talent was put into the first half, leaving nothing for the latter stages.Brosnan and Moore do try hard to make it work and mostly they succeed, but the material does gradually leave them out in the open. It helps that together they do manage an easy chemistry but later in the film they do struggle to convince with the more emotional side of the characters that exist outside of the fizz and snappy exchanges. Brosnan does well for the majority as he charms his way through but Moore can't seem to slide between the film's levels – she works with the snappy comedy stuff but when the emotional stuff comes she seems to drift between rom-com level acting and trying to go deeper. Support from Sheen, Posey, Fisher and a few others add some limited value around the edges but none can stop the script falling apart the longer it goes on.Overall then what starts as a reasonable hark back to screwball romances gradually turns into an unconvincing, silly and sentimental affair that not even the big name stars can keep above the water. Not really worth a look for that reason.

Kaitlin Donovan (tinybubbles8611) I absolutely loved this movie, Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore are the perfect on-screen couple! I personally bought this movie and watch it a lot, I watch it so much the DVD is getting messy. I am only 15 but a complete movie fanatic! Pierce Brosnan is to die for with his "Bond-like" charming ways when faced with a female co-star. No two people could have played these roles so well, (Except maybe Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn). Either way these two kept making me want more. I'm not one for much conversation, the film kept me spell bound, scene after scene it dragged me more in. I am also looking forward to one of Julianne's newest roles in the movie "Trust A Man", co-staring with David Duchovny (Another one of my favorites).