Joe Roth makes memorable cinema in 'America's Sweethearts'. I've seen this zany flick a number of times. I remember watching it during it's release way back in 2001, and kept in touch whenever I got a hang on it on television. Honestly, this is one of the better films I've seen from the early 2000's.The once golden Hollywood duo formerly known as "America's Sweethearts" has now split. This is the basic premise, but, the film actually belongs to the characters of Julia Roberts and Billy Crystal, who are basically, the catalyst's in the screenplay. It has it's share of hilarious moments, especially the sequences featuring Billy Crystal, which stand out. About a 102-Minutes long, this truly is a near classic for Me! Roth's direction is perfect. Billy Crystal's screenplay is witty and has himself using the key. Phedon Papamichael Jr.'s Cinematography is quite good. Music by James Newton Howard is top-notch. Performance-Wise: Billy Crystal is selfishly convincing. The writer awards, the actor in him, the best role. Julia Roberts is highly competent. Plus, she looks ravishing! John Cusack is likable. Catherine Zeta-Jones is over-the-top. Hank Azaria gets into the skin of the character, and comes out like a proper prop. Stanley Tucci is incredible. Christopher Walken is wasted, but even then, he plays his part with sincerity. Seth Green brings the house down, he is wonderful. Scot Zeller is passable.On the whole, This Rom-Com works big time! A Genuine Thumbs Up!

I knew the four leading actors and actresses of this romantic comedy film, and that was good enough for me. Basically Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) were the golden couple of Hollywood, on and off screen, but they broke up, with Gwen falling for Latin actor Hector Gorgonzolas (Hank Azaria), and Eddie having temper tantrums. It is when their new film Time Over Time is being held by its director Hal Weidmann (Christopher Walken), that PR wizard Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal, also writing), with some help from Gwen's assistant, and sister Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison (Julia Roberts), they need to get Gwen and Eddie in the same room together for a press showing that no-one will forget. Of course everything doesn't go smoothly for a little while, but the couple do reunite and try to get through it. In the end, the film Time Over Time is in fact a documentary with real love-hate material made with secret cameras, and it turns out Eddie has actually fallen for Gwen's sister Kiki, so at least it's got some sort of happy ending. Also starring Stanley Tucci as Dave Kingman, Alan Arkin as Wellness Guide, Seth Green as Danny Wax and Larry King. It is good to see satire made like a comedy, when it concerns the Hollywood lifestyle and behind-the-scenes stuff, it might not be the funniest and most witty film ever, but it is likable enough with the good stars and small romantic plot. Good!

The film has a funny beginning where married Hollywood starlets separate and find others to share their lives with. The truth is that the studio wants them to reconcile for film success purposes.Even an all-star cast can't help this film which dissolves fairly rapidly into routine hogwash.The writers must have been thinking of "The Producers" and that awful comical scene with the Nazis when they made this film. Their scene was just as insulting and insensitive and luckily they ended it quickly.To think that a crazed Christopher Walken could capture John Cusack and Catherine Zeta Jones into their private looniest ways is ridiculous. It seems to be a relief when Cusack falls for Julia Roberts, Catherine's sister in this mess of a film.Hank Azaria displays a funny Spanish accent with a lisp and is correctly referred to as Rickie Ricardo, but otherwise his part is wasted.

This film is really two films in one. There's a sharp black comedy on Hollywood, as well as a pleasant romance. While both parts work, I preferred the comedy over the romance. Billy Crystal has some good one-liners and John Cusack, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Christopher Walken all seem to be having fun as they satirize Hollywood. Even Larry King joins in the fun. However Cusack seems visibly disinterested in his romantic role opposite Julia Roberts. Roberts can perform this role in her sleep. The film is watchable though it would have been even better as a stand alone satire.Overall 7/10