Review: My Life in Ruins a Rom-Com in Ruins

My Big Fat Greek Wedding maestro Nia Vardalos returns with a flat flick about a sad-sack tour guide

Review in a Hurry: She may be past her big and fat days, but Nia Vardalos is still Greek and looking for a wedding. Sadly, this attempt at a romantic comedy comeback fails her on every level.

The Bigger Picture: The title pun—Vardalos plays Georgia, a tour guide who shows people ancient Greek ruins—is as clever as it gets in this latest film from director Donald Petrie (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days). It would be more clever if we had any idea that Georgia's life actually were somehow in ruins and that this job were in any way beneath her, but all we know is that it sucks, because tourists tend to be oblivious jerks and most of them would rather go with the suave, local con-man (Alistair McGowan) than the insecure, self-loathing Greek-American.

Frustrated and determined to make this her very last go-around, Georgia finally loses her temper with the inept bunch she's herding around and ends up going a bit too far in insulting would-be comedian and widower Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), who turns out to be a treasure trove of sagely advice. Much of his wisdom is designed to help Georgia get closer to her surprisingly sexy bus driver, a man rather unfortunately named Poupi Cacas (Alexis Georgoulis) who, yes, has a nephew named Doudi Cacas. If only we were making that up, but sadly, no. And that is as funny as it gets, alas.

Romantic comedies are most effective when both potential partners are developed and given a reason to be together, but here, the male love interest is a stereotypical caricature with a bathroom joke as a name, and other than the fact that he's good-looking, there's no reason to root for our heroine to get with him. Meanwhile, she appears to hate her entire country of origin, but is willing to stay there for a good lay? Don't buy it.

The usually reliable Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams manage to generate no laughs whatsoever in their secondary roles, and Dreyfuss appears to have only taken the part so that he can make out with executive producer Rita Wilson, appearing briefly as the ghost of his character's dead wife. Even the beautiful ancient Greek scenery is rendered flat here...like everything else.

The 180—a Second Opinion: Both Vardalos and Dreyfuss have considerable charm, and if that's enough for you, maybe this can be redeemed...but we'd rather wait until they find a movie worthy of their respective charismas.