Burns' wit shines with She's The One

After wading through this summer's quagmire of silly movies, watching She's The One is like bathing in the Ganges River.

Following the incredible success of his first film, The Brothers McMullen , Edward Burns proves again he is one of the best young filmmakers in America. He wrote, directed and starred in his latest effort.

Filmed on location in New York, She's The One is the story of two completely different brothers struggling with life and love. Burns plays Mickey, a carefree cab driver content to live a life of mediocrity. His brother Francis, played by Mike McGlone (The Brothers McMullen ), is a high-strung Wall Street stock broker. The brothers try to live by their father's rule: "You've got to do what makes you happy first." Needless to say, this philosophy serves as the catalyst for conflict throughout the film.

If you liked The Brother's McMullen , you'll enjoy the same style and rhythms of speech in She's The One . The premise of the film could have made this a very sappy production; however, Burns avoids this problem with snappy dialogue and excellent acting.

Cameron Diaz plays Heather, Francis' mistress, while his wife is played by Jennifer Aniston. Both actresses do excellent jobs with their characters. Aniston's character displays a wide range of emotions, which the actress handles very well. Diaz's character affords her plenty of room to show her critics she's a talented actress.

Maxine Bahns, who starred in The Brother's McMullen , plays Mickey's wife Hope. She has improved her acting skills greatly since her debut and shows the potential to be a good actress. John Mahoney (who plays the father on TV's Frasier ) rounds out the cast as the brother's well-meaning but misguided father.

The film revolves around the very different lives of two brothers in an Irish family. As in McMullen , Burns plays with Catholicism, family relations and the pains of love, with the focus of this movie on sibling rivalry. Both brothers have different philosophies about life that have led them in completely different directions. However, their love lives meet in a way neither could have imagined. When the dust settles, they realize their father's advice about life doesn't apply to love.

If you enjoy laughing out loud at the theater, then go see this movie. Burns is a wonderful storyteller with a modern take on life and love. This film isn't fancy, it's just good.