Ghosted

Interest 15

CAT'S PICK : ★ 6.0

The romantic action movie genre has always been overstuffed and eager to please. You could classify it as a genre of "not to like." We chuckle! With a racing heart! And swoon over the passionate chemistry! That is also what "Ghosted" is. From a what-the-hell-let's-throw-it-in-there script by four screenwriters that makes you glad there weren't four more, the movie is a romantic action comedy that starts out light and breezy but quickly turns into a dead-weight spectacle of wretched excess. It was directed by the awesomely unsubtle Dexter Fletcher.

"Ghosted" gets going in Washington, D.C, as a bewildering screwball sweet, with Chris Evans, all provocative facial hair and menschy smile, and Ana de Armas, all spiked tease, getting into contention the second they meet charming. Cole is a farmer who runs a stand selling potted plants at the farmer's market. She is Sadie, a curator of art who purchases the wrong plant. But their argument turns into a morning coffee, a trip to Georgetown's "Exorcist" stairs and a live-band karaoke bar, a late-night stroll through the city, and a hop into the sack that seals the deal. The characters come together; The actors get along. The only conflict that hints at is a joke about a potted cactus that represents two things: the tendency of one party (her) to neglect what she is supposed to nurture, which is why the cactus is the ideal plant for her; the tendency of the other party to be excessively needy indicates that he could use a little bit of that prickliness. The cactus is the ideal plant for both of them. So far, fun so far.

"Ghosted" builds up to a complex sequence in a glassed-in skyscraper restaurant that may bring back memories of numerous other, superior sequences. The espionage plots are routine; The action is more explosive than any romantic comedy could ever hope to sustain. Dexter Fletcher's ability to stage an elegantly fanciful yet plausible action scene is questionable, to be honest. However, he throws a lot of things into the blender in "Ghosted," and that's supposed to be enough. The action in this movie doesn't do much to bring the two characters together, except to the point where it feels like Novocaine has worn off when it's over.

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