Conjugal Comedy

Marriage. A unique and blissful meeting of man and woman in a blessed union never to be put asunder? Or a terrifyingly artificial and claustrophobic nightmare that results in unlimited pain, endless bickering and a costly settlement when it finally whimpers to its undignified end? If you adhere to either of these positions on the old practice of tying the knot, new film Why Men Shouldn't Marry will certainly be your cup of conjugal tea. For these are the two separate poles to be depicted by Sean Penn and Woody Allen respectively in the directorial debut of Liz Hurley's ex, Steve Bing. Penn – who, remember, was brave enough to divorce Madonna – will play a man so embittered by an ugly divorce that he turns anti-marriage guru in an attempt to stop others making the same awful mistake as he. No stranger to the wonders of alimony himself, Allen will star as a romantic soul who has divorced many times but is still a believer in the wonders of wedded bliss. As the ideologies of the pair clash spectacularly, our bet's on the entrance of a beautiful laydee to bowl over each bloke and a finale full of that warm, fuzzy romance Hollywood does so well. But then again, it's directed by the man who lumbered Hurley with child and then denied it all, so you never can tell.