Beautiful, moving film.

A Masterpiece!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Jack (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) lives by the "C" rule. Having a terrific job as an ad-man in Manhattan, he believes the right CAREER, the right CAR, the right CLOTHES, and yes, even the right COFFEE, makes Jack a bright boy. Therefore, our Jack is in for a head-turn when he meets pretty, bohemian Jill (Taryn Manning) on a busy street. She asks him for directions, pulling out a map, but Jack points out that the guide she has is for the subway alone. Laughing together briefly, Jack seizes the moment to ask Jill to star in a minor television commercial THAT DAY and whisks her off for a shoot. Later, he gives her a ride home to a youth hostel, as she is newly arrived in town and doesn't have a permanent place. But, Jack drives a mere half block up the street before heading back. Telling Jill that he has an extra bedroom in his plush apartment, he asks if she would like to stay with him until she finds the right digs for her. Well, of course she would! It isn't long before Jill is crowding his refrigerator with healthy vegetable dishes and telling him she will only drink "fair world" coffee. Not only that, the relationship soon turns intimate, although Jack tries to establish more restrictive boundaries. Further complications arise when Jill appears to have some health secrets, for she eats constantly, despite being thin, and has a wicked cough from time to time. Even so, Jill leads Jack into some fun activities, like tree climbing, and makes him realize that the ad business, like Jack's existence, lacks depth and meaning. What does the future hold for Jack and Jill? This is one of the best romantic dramas I've seen all year. Oddly similar to Sweet November, it nevertheless can stand well on its own merits. Prinze and Manning give lovely, touching performances that shine brightly while the other cast members do nice work, too. Costumes, settings, camera work and a deft, lively direction are also assets. Best of all, the story uses plenty of humor and drama to illuminate the aspects of a serious disease, cystic fibrosis. If you are a fan of Prinze or romantic drama, make time for this one. Go up even a steep hill, if need be, to fetch this very fine flick.

In Manhattan, the successful executive Jack (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a methodical and controlled man with simple habits that works in an advertisement agency with his coworker George (Peter Stebbings). While smoking a cigarette on the roof of the building of the agency, Jack meets the aspirant actress Jill (Taryn Manning) that has just arrived in New York and is seeking a job. He sympathizes with her situation and gives her name to a Klubendorf commercial in the campaign promoted by his agency. When he takes Jill home, he finds that she lives in a very low-budget hotel and out of the blue, he invites her to stay in the guest room of his fancy apartment for a while. Jill changes the behavior of Jack that becomes happier, and proposes Jack to write together a manifesto where the first rule is "be honest". However, she omits to Jack that she is sick with cystic fibrosis and she would have only a couple of years more. When Jack discovers that Jill is ill, he feels betrayed with her violation of their first rules, and they split. But Jack is changed and sooner he decides to seek out Jill.I was looking forward for the next work of Vanessa Parise since the lovely "Kiss the Bride", where this director and actress develops the themes family, relationship, feelings and love in a nice low-budget movie. "Jack and Jill vs. the World" is a sweet little movie about happiness, sympathy, love, illness and commitment with two lead characters that have opposite behaviors and backgrounds, but feel attracted for each other. The story has potential and seems to be slightly inspired in "Storie di Ordinaria Follia", but is predictable and entertaining. However the screenplay could be improved with a better development of Jack and Jill characters in the very beginning; the health situation of Jill could be deeper and more dramatic; the relationship of Jack and his father Norman could be also better explored since it is one of the best moments of the movie: and last but not the least, the conclusion is not well-resolved and needed some improvements. But in my opinion, there are unfair reviews in IMDb. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Regras do Amor" ("Rules of the Love")

This movies predictability was predictable, nothing fresh or new in anyway. I do think Freddie Prinze Jr. is actually a good actor but either his choices in movies or the movies that come his way all suck, pretty much. Taryn Manning did some good supporting work in Hustle & Flow but a full movie with her as the female lead is just to much of her and that voice for anyone to take. The movie jumps into it's story way to fast almost as fast as the two characters jump into bed. I assume the narration is suppose to do all the introductions of these characters, but at a whole three minutes worth, that's not enough to make me give a crap. The only remotely positive thing about this film was Prinze's character's job and the characters there, if only the movie would have been based around that and dropped the girl they may have had something. The typical romantic comedy best friend character on the guy side of things was in fact funny a couple times, so I guess not a complete waste. I'm sure are a few girls out there that think calling a bomb threat into their boyfriends place of business so you can reconcile things with him is romantic, I see it as illegal. Just like making a totally unoriginal movie should be.

This is a film with a message. Unfortunately that message - fair-trade coffee is good, advertising is stupid, having cystic fibrosis sucks - is incredibly trite.Beyond that, the film is desperately uneven. Taryn Manning is partly kooky and charming, partly emotionally stunted. All grown up, Freddy Prinze could pass for a Baldwin brother, and despite his obvious talents, he can only work with the lines he's given... and they aren't great.There's not enough here to make us empathise with these characters. And the film needs you to do that. The tender moments aren't tender enough, the funny ones are barely funny at all. The film has its meagre charms, but the dialogue is stilted in places, unbelievable in others.The end of the movie is so formulaic it would be funny. But it's just not funny. And yet it still fails to convince you that the protagonists have a plan. It's a film with a heart and I so wanted it to fly, but it doesn't have the dialogue or the story to make that heart beat strong.