Mandy Moore cannot get a break. Here, the darling singer-turned-actress is cast as the underdrawn female lead, Sadie, in a movie about what it takes to make marriage work. Co-starring John Krasinski of The Office as her fiance, Ben, and one-time funnyman Robin Williams as Reverend Frank, License's premise is simple: Frank won't marry the couple unless they pass his marriage course, proving they're ready. The rigors of the challenge, however, prove too much and begin to tear the couple apart, which Ben blames on Frank's spying and obnoxious interference. One would think Sadie would feel some angst about all of this, but her character is so void of spirit, she just whines her way through the movie, while Ben —basically a renamed Jim from The Office — decides to fight back with embarrassing results. Williams, in a paycheck-only performance, lacks any of his patented spontaneity; it's as if he's sleep-joking through some scenes. License is an utterly uninspired movie and a fine argument in favor of remaining single until the end of days.
Cole Hadden writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected].
