Farrelly Bros. tip the scale with 'Hal'

The Farrelly Brothers are the undisputed kings of the modern day gross-out comedy. This highly coveted title was attained through such crudely comedic gems as "Dumb and Dumber," "Kingpin" and "There's Something About Mary." \nTheir latest film, "Shallow Hal," differs somewhat from their previous efforts in that it wears its heart blatantly upon its sleeve, extending itself beyond the ongoing series of "fat" jokes promised in trailers. The wince-inducing laughs are still presented in abundance. But the patented Farrelly crassness is dulled by a sensitivity foreign to many of their works.\nJack Black, lead singer of Tenacious D and the man who stole "High Fidelity" from the ever-dependable John Cusack, headlines the flick as Hal Larson.\nHal's father was a preacher who died when Hal was 9. While under the influence of a considerable morphine drip, he instills last minute words of wisdom to his impressionable son. The advice falls somewhere along the lines of, "Avoid love, son. That's the mistake I made with your mother. Hot, young tail. That's what it's all about."\nHal does his father proud, and pursues nothing further than meaningless relationships with women who are far from his league. Alongside his equally shallow buddy Mauricio (Jason Alexander), who wears spray-on hair and an undersized Members Only jacket, Hal prowls clubs looking to hook up with disinterested beauties.\nThis all changes during a chance encounter with self-help guru Tony Robbins (as himself) in a stalled elevator. Tony cuts through Hal's shallow nature to see a kind-hearted and sensitive man lying beneath, and thus, hypnotizes him to see only a woman's inner beauty. \nShortly after, Hal happens upon a nurse/Peace Corps volunteer named Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow) who looks exactly like the aforementioned star, but in reality is a 300-pound woman with a heart of gold. He's smitten and enters into a whirlwind romance, unbeknownst to her actual appearance.\nBlack, in his first leading man role, doesn't disappoint. He's charming and consistently funny. "Shallow Hal," will make this guy a star, and rightfully so. He's the most comedically gifted actor working in Hollywood today. Paltrow also does wonders in the role of Rosemary, giving her finest performance since "Shakespeare in Love." She instills Rosemary with an insecurity that suits the character perfectly. She's really very touching, and the two have impeccable chemistry.\n"Shallow Hal" amounts to more than the trailers would have you to believe. It's a tad schizophrenic at times, but that doesn't numb the overall effect of the movie. The Farrelly brothers have produced the best romantic comedy of the year and a great date movie for more adventurous filmgoers.