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Review by Susan Granger
2 stars out of 4
This romantic comedy-turned-melodrama is definitely a chick's flick.
Andie MacDowell stars as Kate, the expatriate American headmistress of a posh
school in the British Cotswolds. She's forty-something, unmarried and woefully
yearning for something more - as are her two best friends, Molly (Anna
Chancellor), a thrice-married cynical doctor, and Janine (Imelda Staunton), a
single mother as well as the local sheriff. They gather weekly for a gin-sodden
rap session, each recounting her most recent, wretched male encounter with the
most pathetic winning a box of caramel chocolates. But then Kate meets Jed
(Kenny Doughty), a lusty 25 year-old former student who's been recruited to play
the organ at church. Soon they're having a sexual tryst on a tombstone after a
funeral. And it's not just a fortnight fling, much to the chagrin of her
resentful pals who think the liaison is reckless and totally inappropriate and
begin an ill-fated campaign to sabotage the romance. They conclude that the
local minister (Bill Paterson) is a far better match for her, despite the fact
that the gentle vicar gets his jollies by repelling off high buildings with his
troupe of small Christian commandos. Writer/director John McKay ignites some
charming chemistry between Kate and Jed but, when he veers into sodden
melodrama, punctuated by violins, it's disastrous and Kate's jealous female
friends become downright despicable. Which is too bad since the set-up - an
older woman's erotic relationship with a younger man - would have been
fascinating to develop. Andie MacDowell ("Harrison's Flowers") delivers another
beguiling performance and Kenny Doughty exudes blatant screen charisma. On the
Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Crush" is a confused, contrived 5, fizzling
when it should have been a frothy frolic.
Copyright © 2002 Susan Granger
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out of 4
