Review

by Sam S

Surprising comedy

Jenny McCarthy has come to be loathed in the U.S. Over there she has a far higher TV profile than in the U.K., where she is only seen now and then in big, dumb movies. Here she stars in Dirty Love from her own screenplay, a movie universally reviled by viewers overseas. But in many ways this is a far funnier and bolder comedy than many that come out of Hollywood. There are scenes in here that would never appear in larger releases, such as a bloody time-of-the-month set-piece in a supermarket, or a strange man's obsession with bass. McCarthy's performance touches on Jerry Lewis, with comic facial distortions and fearless humiliation. This is bad taste comedy from a female perspective, a rare thing in Hollywood, and is ultimately admirable for its do-anything-for-a-laugh spirit.