It's only fair to say upfront that I hate romantic comedies. I hate their predictability, stock characters, and overall smarminess. "Down With Love," aside from some tasteful art and set decoration, is no different. I hated it. But, if you, unlike me, paid to see "You've Got Mail" in its theatrical release, you will enjoy "Down With Love."

The time is 1962, the place is New York City. The stage is set for two seemingly polar opposites to fall in love. It's the world of the Hudson/ Day picture "Pillow Talk," complete with split-screen telephone conversations.

Renee Zellweger plays author Barbara Novak who has written a surprise best-seller called "Down With Love." She is strong-minded, independent and loathes the way men use love to manipulate women. Zellweger reprises the you-go-girl spunkiness we saw in "Bridget Jones," but as there is far less depth to this character, the blinking and brow-furrowing is far less interesting. It's the kind of role Zellweger does best, though she shows negative growth as an actress.

Ewan McGregor saunters and winks his way through the role of cad-cum-columnist Catcher Block. As is always the way in films of this type, Block is exactly the kind of guy Novak hates the most. He has no interest in interviewing Novak, but he strings her along anyway. Novak, infuriated by his cocky behavior, announces she would never see him in a hundred years. Predictably, this prompts Block to pursue her.

Though this role is new territory for McGregor, the highly presentational nature of his role in "Moulin Rouge" was a clear foundation for his performance in "Down With Love." It is this presentational, stage-y delivery which hinders the film, and we see it from Zellweger as well. It's hard to say if this is a style-related fault of director Peyton Reed (Bring It On) or a lack of training on behalf of the cast. In the era of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, actors had a firm training in the theatre before they ever got to the big screen. This experience taught actors how to "give" to each other in a scene and create chemistry. Without this element of subtextual exchange, the movie falters. Zellweger and McGregor recite the witty innuendo-laden dialogue, but it just comes across as campy. For my money, I'd rather watch "Austin Powers."

David Hyde Pierce gives a somewhat noteable performance as Catcher Block's editor, Peter MacMannus. If you enjoy his performance as Niles Krane on TV's Fraiser, you'll love to see him recreate it on the big screen, with a swath of Tony Randall.

Where the film succeeds is in its production design and art direction. What delighted me about this film were the small details like the "Presented in Cinemascope" title card and the painted backgrounds. One particular scene made me very nostalgic: Novak and her editor are riding in a cab, and the world outside is clearly from different footage. Ah, that takes me back.

Most critics (especially male critics), are going to hate this movie and that's not entirely fair. This movie was made for those who would describe themselves as "hopeless romantics," a group to which I would never claim membership, but know many who would (both male and female). As romantic comedies go, you'd be better served renting the classic "Pillow Talk" or the far more intelligent and modern "High Fidelity." But, if you're determined to have a night out and are in the mood for some fun , the colorful and sparkly world of "Down With Love" will surely outshine the flaws that cranky people like me love to point out.