Slapstick, cerebral, puns, visual humor, industry in jokes, innuendo, and satire, even Woody Allenesque in Tracy Ullman's Mothe Nature running commentary; Amy Heckerling's writing skills here are at full force. We cannot remember that last time we watched a film and laughed out loud so often and at so many different types of comedy;

As other reviewers have noted this is a film of real sweetness - but even the sentimentality is handled well - but not saccharine. It handles the idea of older woman - younger man with a delicious sense of balance and farce; can it really be five years since Michelle Pfeiffer's last film? And Paul Rudd stamps his charm all over this.

The comedians, and there are a ton to spot here, especially British - a challenge to spot all of them - make up one of the better ensemble casts of the last few years.

'I could never be your woman' is quite simply one of the best comedies of 2007 in our opinion - romantic or otherwise. Neither of us could think on another comedy that comes close so far this year. It is difficult not to be enthusiastic given the wit and chemistry of the script, the actors, and the crew. Irreverent, yet old fashioned, trend setting, yet comfortably familiar, this really is one of the most enjoyable films to be seen: an outstanding comedy, and if I am raving about it, it is because it deserves it.

A real film and a real cinematic experience: kudos and thanks to all involved.

Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is divorced mother of Izzie (Saoirse Ronan) and a producer of a silly high school TV show. She falls for new actor Adam (Paul Rudd),but the age difference is driving her crazy. I like Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd as a lovely couple. That is certainly a huge chunk of the movie, and is a lot of fun. But there are two things that are constantly annoying me in this movie.

First, writer/director Amy Heckerling wants this to be The Graduate with a different ending. Only Michelle Pfeiffer looks way too hot for the Anne Bancroft role. And Paul Rudd look older than 29. It makes the age difference look insignificant, and takes away much of the drama. Second, I couldn't stand Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman). She causes every scene to get off the narrative. It's very distracting. She's part of a whole series of overwritten jokey setups.

In the end, I like the leads. Saoirse is cute as the kid. That's enough to recommend this movie marginally.

Amy Heckerling's latest romantic comedy, I Could Never Be Your Woman, got, to use a proverbial word, shafted. It was meant for theatrical release and went straight to DVD due to some bad deals done with one of the producers. It's a shame despite the fact that Heckerling's comedy was far from being top-shelf work. It certainly stands a good chance at ranking well enough alongside (and probably better than) many of the tripe conventional market-stuffers that are out in cineplexes. Her film posits that a middle-aged TV writer (Michelle Pfieffer) has some angst and insecurities in dating one of the new stars of her TV show (Paud Rudd),and it's not a bad premise. This is also thrown in a quasi plot thread involving her daughter (Atonement's Saoirse Ronan, couldn't tell it was the same girl she's that good) as she tries to navigate her first possible boyfriend.

A lot of this isn't delivered with all of the best execution- certainly it's hard to figure on what exactly makes the Tracy Ullman bits funny as they're slipped in with some awkward soft-focus and at ill-timing- and there's something kind of fishy about putting such an actress like Michelle Pfieffer, who is still incredibly beautiful for any age, in the role of an insecure woman who can't see herself with such a younger man after such a long break from being with a man. At the same time, there is a good deal that does work to Heckerling's advantage, such as the bond between the mother and daughter in the story that doesn't ring as being sappy or trite like in other rom-coms or flicks with mother-daughter talks and such. And almost in spite of the bright lighting, Paul Rudd lays on the same charm and wit carried over from the Judd Apatow comedies (if, of course, nowhere near as funny in the sensibility of crudeness). And who can't love Jon Lovitz or Fred Willard?

So with I Could Never Be Your Woman, it's good for a rental, but that's not really the point with the release issue. It's the kind of movie, as with Heckerling's others, that play for laughs with a big audience, and are perfect for a certain niche of female viewers and die-hard rom-com afficionados. It's light and slight and not too terrible, if not much memorable either.