Hottie and the Nottie, The

Stars: Paris Hilton, Joel David Moore, Christine Lakin, Adam Kulbersh

Director: Tom Putnam

Dubbed the worst film ever made by users of the Internet Movie Database, this romantic comedy is nowhere near that bad. I guess Database voters can't have seen that many movies.

OK, it does have Paris Hilton, and that's a bad start. Also executive producer, Paris gives herself an awful role that shows up her many limitations, but might have been amusing enough in the hands of, say, Uma Thurman or Jessica Alba.

Gormless-looking Nate (Moore) has just had his guitar broken over his head by his latest girlfriend, and can't get over pining over Christabel (Paris), with whom he fell in love as a six-year-old. Now, at 26, he tracks her down, but here's an obstacle: her best friend June (Lakin), who makes Ugly Betty look like Marilyn Monroe.

June is, in fact, far too ugly, a figure from the worst gross-out comedy, with zits all over her face and body, a black toenail, a huge wart on her chin, thin hair, and teeth Jaws would disown. And yet - as a dopey romance (between Nate and June, of course) this almost works, if only it had any sense of subtlety.

Paris' character suffers from flatulence, it turns out (no reflection her performance) which focuses Nate on the girl he's loved all along. Yeah, right. And yet, we do want to go along with the ridiculous coupling, right up to a rather bungled fadeout. Not a bad idea, this: a pity it fell into the wrong hands.

David Quinlan

USA 2008. UK Distributor: Pathe. Colour by deluxe.
90 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 21 Mar 2008