Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
By day, Richard Haig is a successful and well-respected English professor at renowned Trinity College in Cambridge. By night, Richard indulges his own romantic fantasies with a steady stream of beautiful undergraduates. But Richard has grown tired of the game and is looking for something more meaningful and lasting. So when Kate, Richard’s tanned, athletic, 25-year-old American girlfriend tells him that she is pregnant, Richard is thrilled. He looks forward to having a family of his own, being a father his children could be proud of, not some sex-fueled bobcat. There is only one problem. Richard’s not in love with Kate. Richard is in love with Kate’s sister, Olivia. He had been in love with her ever since he first saw her.
Some Kind of Beautiful is a formulaic romantic comedy that fails to transcend its predictable premise. The plot—aging Casanova caught between two sisters—offers little narrative surprise and meanders through well-worn rom-com territory. Pierce Brosnan brings his trademark charm and the supporting cast (Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba) are watchable, elevating the acting above the thin material. Cinematography is functional at best, with Cambridge settings providing some visual appeal but no distinctive visual language. The film offers nothing particularly fresh in concept or execution, recycling familiar archetypes of the reformed playboy. The resolution ties things up in an overly tidy, unsatisfying fashion that doesn't earn its emotional beats.