‘THREE to Tango” starts badly – with an awful title sequence and a couple of manic opening scenes. But it then falls into the right gear and turns into a cute, often very funny romantic comedy and an effective vehicle for Matthew Perry, who may yet be the first “Friends” cast member to become a movie star.
Oscar (Matthew Perry) and Peter (Oliver Platt) are a two-man architectural team. When arrogant zillionaire Charles Newman (Dylan McDermott) decides to rebuild a Chicago arts center, he selects their firm and another, more established one (run by Bob Balaban and John C. McGinley) to make competing plans for the project.
On the mistaken assumption that Oscar is gay, Charles asks him to befriend his artist-mistress Amy (Neve Campbell) and keep an eye on her. He’s afraid that she might be seeing her ex-boyfriend Kevin (Cylk Cozart). Oscar develops a crush on her before realizing that both she and Charles assume that he’s homosexual.
The pretense that Oscar is gay and Peter is straight gets taken much further than either of them expects, thanks to a reporter doing a story on the design competition. To his horror – and that of his straight friends – Oscar actually becomes the most famous gay man in the city.
Perry plays a slightly less prissy version of his Chandler Bing character in “Friends,” and sports a strange, red-dyed haircut, but he carries the picture with an ease that’s surprising after his irritating turn in “Fools Rush In.”
His character here is a little too passive, but Perry is just masculine enough for the closeted-heterosexual joke to work.
Campbell isn’t enough of a bombshell for her role, but she makes the most of an amazing smile. McDermott is effectively cast against type as Charles. But, as usual, it’s Oliver Platt, so good in “Bulworth” and “Lake Placid,” who steals the movie.
Light-hearted and fast-paced, “Three to Tango” has one of those “Notting Hill” endings that’s just too sweet and too unbelievable, even for this frothy genre.
It also assumes to be true the notion that what women really want is a straight man who is exactly like their gay best friend.
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THREE TO TANGO
Starring Neve Campbell, Matthew Perry, Oliver Platt and Dylan McDermott. Directed by Damon Santostefano. Screenplay by Rodney Vacarro and Aline Brosh McKenna. Running time: 98 minutes. Rating: PG-13. At the Loews 84, the Chelsea, the Village East, others.