SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE

"The new Sarah Michelle Gellar movie." Indeed, the trailer for the film was in every commercial break of Gellar's Buffy the Vampire Slayer over the last few weeks, and the audience of that show is the best one for this overcooked Valentine. The plot centers around Gellar's Amanda Shelton, a young woman whose mother has died and left her to run the family restaurant. The film begins just as the restaurant is about to go under, until a mysterious man shows up and sells her a basket of live crabs. One escapes and leads her to Tim Bartlett (Sean Patrick Flanery), who becomes--surprise!--Amanda's new love interest. Suddenly, Amanda is whipping up fancy dishes to put Julia Child to shame--whatever Amanda is feeling as she makes them goes into the food. This leads to a few funny scenes, particularly when Tim and his girlfriend eat at the restaurant, It's a one-trick pony, but the film makes as much good use of the gag as could be expected. Otherwise, the film follows the model of the standard romantic comedy, including separating the lovers until the one causing the problem figures it all out. Only one scene drags--a bizarre, pastry induced dance between Tim and Amanda that doesn't quite flow. If you're looking for a generic date movie, Simply Irresistible will deliver. It's an enjoyable film that you'll forget all about the next day.