I tried, I really tried to hate There's Something About Mary - it's a pure gross out comedy, relying on inane violence and pain for cheap laughs. The problem is the laughs are cheap, but there are heaps of them, and they're huge. The plot is pretty feeble romantic movie stuff: Ben Stiller has been in love with Mary (Cameron Diaz) ever since High School. He lost contact with her after an unfortunate accident with a zipper (ouch) and so sends private eye Matt Dillon to track her down. Matt finds her, and falls in love with her. He pretends to be an architect (her professed favourite occupation) in order to woo her. Ben finally figures out where she is and heads to Florida to find her. Along the way he gets arrested for murder, but is freed, and finally confronts Matt Dillon, and Lee Evans, also in love with Mary, as well as her old boyfriend. Who gets her? Who cares?

What makes There's...Mary so good is the pure puerility of the jokes - masturbation, things caught in zippers (I was wincing for weeks after that one), dogs on fire, dogs on speed, and fish hooks in faces - nothing is too low to be funny in this film. Ben Stiller is forced to take the worst of the pain (I'm still wincing about it) in the film. The film is not perfect - there are periods when you do wonder just what you're doing there. Cameron Diaz is not given nearly enough to do - although standing around looking gorgeous with her hair standing on end is something she does really well.

See this film, and guys - you'll be wearing button flies from then on.