neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Serving Sara
	Reginald Hudlin Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, Bruce Campbell, Vincent Pastore, Cedric the Entertainer, Amy Adams 2002		Someone should be serving time for "Serving Sara." It's that awful. In the alleged romantic comedy, Matthew Perry plays process server Joe Tyler, Elizabeth Hurley plays trophy wife Sara Moore, and Joe must — here it comes! — serve Sara divorce papers drawn up by her philandering, cattle-ranching husband. Could the spark-free Joe and Sara possibly end up together, after many futile stabs at wackiness ensue? Could random letters from a Scrabble game form a better script? Could be. Every story point from first kiss to last scene, and every attempt at a slapstick gag or a humorous turn, is telegraphed so far in advance, it's like the film is running in reverse. Of course, that would be funnier, what with all the backward voices. It might've been worse if not for Perry's innate appeal, Hurley's sexiness and the welcome presence of Bruce Campbell ("Army of Darkness") as Sara's scurrilous Texan hubby and Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy on TV's "The Sopranos") as Joe's doltish rival process server. But "...Sara" serves no one well.