mrtraska Note: possible marginal spoilers here, but not many.Okay, let's just get this out of the way first: if you're a guy who's not a foodie and hates dancing, romantic comedy and magical realism, you probably should go watch ESPN instead. Everyone else, listen up: this one's underrated. Sure's it's a ball of fluff, but a very enjoyable one with no pretensions. The protagonists are sympathetic, and the side characters get some pretty funny lines at times. Every time this comes on the tube, I find myself watching it again, and I'm never sorry -- it hooks you. However, I do end up wanting vanilla orchids and those damned caramel eclairs every single time!!! That's the only unfortunate trade-off, especially for foodies. But it's worth the suffering (you can search for the eclair recipe later, folks).The first thing that tempted me to watch this film is that it features a few actors whose work I love, Patricia Clarkson being at the top of the list. I was prepared not to like Sarah Michelle Gellar in this, considering how many duds and screamers she's been in, but she was marvelously understated here, as was Sean Patrick Flannery, whom I generally like but who's been known to ham it up too much in other flicks. Not here: he's bewildered through the first half of the film after he eats Amanda's food for the first time, which is totally understandable if you love food and quite charming, actually, considering what a heel he is when the film opens. He's such a GUY throughout, especially when he gets scared after their cooking scene together! Very accurate there. And still, food and love can conquer all if he gives them a chance (no, I won't tell you -- you'll have to watch). I do love the dance scenes, though.Clarkson and Dylan Baker make the most of what they're given, especially regarding the eclairs. Clever woman, that Lois! Gawd, I love Clarkson in rom-com. Those two are insanely funny together, especially in the elevator scene. And the dining room scenes during the big dinner are hysterical (literally, at one point). Everything resolves strangely enough by the end of the flick, which is what you'd expect with magical realism; and the mysterious crab and Shawn Colvin's cover of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a nice touch. Perfect.Advice: don't think too hard when you watch this, and have some caramel-covered eclairs or cream puffs on hand when you watch, and you won't be sorry. It's not Casablanca, but it's a lot of fun.

MartianOctocretr5 This movie turned out to be better than I expected it would be. It comprises two plot ideas borrowed from other stories: one is from an old Twilight Zone episode where a man named Fate steps in to assist a downtrodden man; the second is Like Water from Chocolate, where the very emotions of the cook preparing the food are ingrained as a "secret ingredient" of a heavenly tasting delicacy.Sarah Michelle Gellar is a mediocre cook, and the restaurant she inherited from her mother is suffering the consequences. One day a mysterious man sells her some crabs, one of which has some amazing properties. The crab causes her to meet an eligible bachelor, but that's only the beginning. Suddenly her cooking is top quality, the restaurant flourishes, and her magical pastries are in demand.There are some clever bits, but some events are predictable for this kind of story. The guy Gellar likes is already seeing some girl and she's a jerk, while he's a Don Juan guy who needs to grow up. Some other characters start off paper thin, but most of them do grow as the story moves on. It seemed kind of weird how everybody accepted the magical element of the food without any reservation, but overall the the fantasy elements of this movie are served up pretty well. There are minor flaws in execution, but this is overall a good romantic story, great for a date flick.

Turtle5729 The direction was bad.The script was bad.The actors tried. They failed to make up for it.There could've been a few things in the movie that could have been explored more, and they weren't, which leaves you feeling, "what the hell is that about?" *SPOILER* There was one running joke made that was funny. That's it. The friend character says when men put their hands in their pockets they're thinking about sex. When she's getting ready for a date and tries different outfits he does that and she says, "Really?" He looks down and takes his hands out. Ha ha ha, very funny. And she sees various men with their hands in their pockets and looks disgusted, etc.

madkira I don't think anyone could claim that Simply Irresistible is an intellectual masterpiece. However, it is a charming little romance, with plenty of eye candy and a little bit of magic.The plot itself is pretty standard, and the film doesn't dwell much on explanation, which is probably just as well, since it would only suffer by making the audience think too much. It's better not to ask whether the crab is magical, or why Sarah Michelle Gellar cooks in strappy tank tops. Instead, the film asks you to just go along for the ride and watch its two leads (an adorable Gellar and a quirky Sean Patrick Flanery) find each other and fall in love in a fantasy New York.While this film doesn't have much in the way of substance, its cotton candy fluff will appeal to the closet romantic in its audience.