A man and a woman from different worlds stumble awkwardly together. Why bother? Why not? There are some rare moments of interest in Danish director Jonas Elmer’s New in Town, but it’s a mostly rigid and heartless story of Lucy (Renée Zellweger), a hard-boiled executive who transforms into a soft-hearted, union-rep-dating leftist by virtue of a tough winter spent on corporate assignment to oversee a factory, and her immersion with the Jesusy, scrapbooking, ice-fishing locals.

Lucy’s unlikely transition is told entirely by her blond-streaked helmet becoming loose and messy; her tailored power-suits and stilettos morphing into fuzzy boots only after the heels are played for dumb-bitch giggles. Both tolerable scenes from the film involve Lucy and her rugged man-friend Ted (Harry Connick Jr.) caught up in cute flirt-fighting, and allow Zellwegger to quit the sour puss for a few minutes of fun.

Minnesotan quirk isn’t entirely misused, and the locals are randomly funny. Still, lacking a sympathetic Other in Lucy, the experience is more cringe-inducing than lovable.

Email us at: LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM or send your questions to EYEWEEKLY.COM
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1