Seen on: June 6, 2009

The players: Director: Donald Petrie, Writer: Mike Reiss, Cast: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, Caroline Goodall

Facts of interest: Donald Petrie also directed "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

The plot: Georgia is a desperate tour guide who has trouble entertaining her group of eccentric tourists.

Our thoughts: Sure, Nia Vardalos is a talented, charming actress, but she has no business being in Donald Petrie’s disastrous comedy “My Life in Ruins.” A movie with a main thematic as ancient as the architectural treasures of Greece, this big-screen trip is one you should skip at all costs… unless you fancy a simplistic plot with bad humor and absolutely no surprises.

Without going into too much detail, Vardalos plays Georgia, a desperate tour guide who bores shallow tourists with her extensive knowledge of Greek history. But when her eccentric group basically takes control of the trip, Georgia slowly rediscovers the happiness of life and the romantic side that can come along with it.

If you’ve ever seen a romantic comedy or a film about crazy tourists who prefer buying souvenirs to learning about a country’s culture, don’t bother buying a ticket for this ride. “My Life in Ruins” plays it strictly by the book, and that’s clearly its biggest problem. It’s a clichéd mess stuffed with jokes that just don’t work, and it blows.

While her tourists literally drive her to the edge of madness, Georgia starts warming up to Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), a humorous tourist who spends most of his time delivering bad jokes and offering her his schmaltzy pearls of wisdom. And when she’s not listening to him, she’s flirting with the quiet but handsome bus driver called Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis).

I have absolutely nothing against a traditional romance that boasts interesting characters, a solid dose of drama and silly fun, but sadly enough, “My Life in Ruins” doesn’t offer any of those qualities. Sure, it’s got a relaxing Greek flair to it all the way through, but that’s not enough to win me over.

Vardalos did a fantastic job in the superior comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and while she celebrates a couple of charming moments in the role of Georgia, both her character and her performance lack punch. The same also goes for Dreyfuss and Georgoulis, who deliver their lines without much intensity or passion.

Freaky quote: "Look here. I know I'm touching your chest." – Alexis Georgoulis

The final word: I’m sure some cinemagoers out there will have some fun on this bumpy trip across Greece, but I admit I simply couldn’t warm up to the thing. No matter how hard I tried to enjoy myself, the jokes still didn’t work for me. Better luck next time.

Article by Franck Tabouring