Those watching the movie will echo the sentiment as they slog their way through the clichés, predictable scenarios and failed attempts at humor. My Life in Ruins plays out more like a thuddingly bad, been-there, seen-that sitcom. Even the sight of breathtaking ancient monuments don't keep it from crumbling.
Vardalos plays Georgia, a Greek American living in Athens. Having lost her job as a teacher, she is forced to make a living leading tours. Her boss (Bernice Stegers) complains that tourists find her boring and gives her oily colleague Nico (Alistair McGowan) the more appealing customers. In other words, he gets the courteous Canadians, while she gets a motley crew of obnoxious Americans, stuck-up Brits, oversexed Latinas and hard-drinking Aussies. The ethnic stereotypes are as plentiful as they are insulting.
Everyone keeps telling Georgia she needs to get her groove back. The Greek word for mojo is apparently kefi— and Georgia needs to locate and tap into it.
But while she could use some loosening up, the folks on her tour do nothing but hang loose: All they want to do is buy cheesy souvenirs, snap photos and gobble ice cream. Georgia's vast knowledge of Greek culture apparently is wasted on these numbskulls. Or, could it be that in their fun-loving ways they actually have something to teach her?
Richard Dreyfuss plays a widower who dispenses such sage advice as "sex sells" and urges Georgia to portray the Oracle of Delphi in a salacious style, with disastrous consequences. Then there's the enigmatic tour bus driver, Procopi (Alexis Georgoulis), who insists on being called by his nickname, Poupi. As the tourists inquire about his last name, it's impossible not to guess what's coming. A character named Poupi Kakas might be funny if the screenplay were written by someone still in middle school.
While a sweet British biddy engages in larceny, a loud American couple negotiate to buy ancient relics as receptacles for snacks. An IHOP sales rep relates all he sees to pancakes and boasts of his vintage syrup collection.
What a perfect metaphor for this cloying and dated movie.
My Life in Ruins
* 1/2 (out of four)
Stars: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Brian Palermo
Director: Donald Petrie
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content
Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes
Opens today nationwide
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001U0HBPG/almosthuman
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