The Truth About Cats & Dogs

Affable yet relatively unmemorable, The Truth About Cats & Dogs follows radio Abby (Janeane Garofalo) as she enlists a pretty neighbor (Uma Thurman’s Noelle) to pretend to be her in an effort at wooing a handsome photographer (Ben Chaplin’s Brian). Filmmaker Michael Lehmann has infused The Truth About Cats & Dogs with a breezy, lighthearted vibe that’s generally impossible to resist, with the engaging atmosphere heightened by the efforts of a seriously charismatic cast. (All three of the movie’s stars deliver work that certainly remains a highlight and effectively compensates for the less-than-engrossing elements within Audrey Wells’ screenplay.) There’s never a point, really, at which The Truth About Cats & Dogs is able to become much more than a diverting bit of escapism, and yet it’s ultimately impossible to deny that the movie succeeds quite heartily as a perfectly watchable romcom.

*** out of ****