2004, PG-13, 100 minutes

A good romantic comedy is harder to pull off than it may seem. Certain elements need to come together, like stars with the right chemistry in a story that doesn't feel clichéd or tired. Now we have the immensely likable Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore in Laws of Attraction, and the result is decidedly mixed. Brosnan and Moore have a pleasantly antagonistic chemistry as rival New York divorce attorneys, but the movie is undone by…a clichéd and tired screenplay.

Audrey Woods (Moore) is one of those uptight, high-maintenance women so often portrayed in the movies. (She deals with pre-court anxiety by gobbling down a Hostess Snowball.) Daniel Rafferty (Brosnan) is more the laid-back-yet-sneaky type. When these two meet in the courtroom, it's dislike at first sight. He has to melt down her defenses so she's easier to beat in court, while she has to toughen up and show no mercy to yet another movie lawyer who has "never lost a case." Audrey lives in a world of order and rationality; Daniel's world is messy and fun. This mismatched twosome couldn't possibly fall in love and get married, could they?

With the help of massive amounts of alcohol, anything is possible. Daniel takes Audrey to a Mexican restaurant (she agrees to go only as part of a well-thought-out strategy). After downing countless "goat nuts" later, she wakes up the next morning in his bed with a terrible hangover. They're due in court, and Daniel easily defeats the flustered and humiliated Audrey.

Daniel and Audrey are soon again working opposite sides of the same case, this time the divorce of an eccentric celebrity couple (Parker Posey and Michael Sheen). Audrey is a neurotic mess, and often turns to her plastic-surgery addicted mother (Frances Fisher) for guidance. Mom's not much of a help, as her freewheeling lifestyle is in stark contrast to her daughter's compulsive rigidity.

The celebrity couple's Irish castle is a major point in their case, so Daniel and Audrey are given an excuse to visit the beautiful Irish estate to interview the servants and staff of the property. Then, the two go to an Irish pub to participate in a local celebration, which includes massive amounts of beer consumption. Combine that with quickie weddings being performed on the property, and Daniel and Audrey have a major "Uh-oh!" on their hands. Will they find love after marriage?

The movie's screenplay (credited to Aline Brosh McKenna and Robert Harling) leaves no cliché unturned, giving the movie a decidedly stale feel. That's unfortunate, because Brosnan and Moore make an appealing onscreen team. Brosnan uses his considerable charm well in a way that recalls his early "Remington Steele" days. Moore, after building a career as one of today's great dramatic actresses, seems relieved to be taking a break from exploring the depths of human despair, as she has done so often (and brilliantly) in movies like Boogie Nights and The Hours. She and Brosnan have a natural rapport together onscreen, but much of Audrey's physical comedy shtick falls somewhat flat with Moore, in a role that has "Sandra Bullock" written all over it.

Is Laws of Attraction worth seeing? If the idea of Brosnan and Moore together in a romantic comedy (albeit a paint-by-numbers Hollywood-factory version) appeals to you, then this movie is perhaps worth a look. Otherwise, Brosnan and Moore fans can look forward to their future projects, in which they'll undoubtedly be saving the world and contemplating suicide, respectively.