Director Mark Waters (Just Like Heaven) knows his way around spooky romances, and the premise of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is certainly in touch with some musty old spirits.
Fashion photographer and swarmy cad Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) returns to the family estate of Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas) for the wedding of his younger brother (Breckin Meyer) and comes face-to-face with Jenny (Jennifer Garner), the one who got away. Connor cruises his sexscapade dreams with a disparate trio of spirit guides in search of true love, but the only spark of life here is the roguish Douglas. With Douglas’ tabloid past, he makes an inspired choice for the playboy uncle teaching his mutt nephew all of his old tricks, but he also reminds us that sexy-boy McConaughey still has much to learn from the old Hollywood dog.
I spent far too much time wondering why Jenny (or anyone else for that matter) was ever into Connor in the first place. Slick yet utterly empty projects like Ghosts and He’s Just Not That Into You are nailing the coffin lid tight on the romantic comedy genre, so much so that there’s hardly a ghost of a chance that anything good might rise up anytime soon. Grade: D
Opens May 1. Check out theaters and show times, see the film's trailer and find nearby bars and restaurants here.
