Let me start by saying that I did not go into Beauty and the Briefcase with an open mind. Netflix recommended it to me based on my interest in Desperate Housewives, or something equally appealing. In desperate need to unwind after the first week of the semester, I decided to give it a try despite my hatred of Hilary Duff, whose career, if you ask me, should have been halted when Lizzy McGuire came to an end.

First of all, the story line was predictable, sexist and so cutesy that it made me want to projectile vomit all over Duff’s character’s Cosmopolitan magazine shrine that’s posted on her bedroom wall. Journalist Lane (Duff), goes under cover at an office in search of her dream man. She’s supposed to find him and write a cover story for Cosmo on romance in the work place. The problem is that she stumbles upon her dream man one night at a bar and he doesn’t sport the mandatory suit. After going back and forth and finding out that he’s a gigantic liar, Lane drops the man and writes her story about not finding her prince. Then (shock, I know), she falls in love with her boss. The end. I was surprised that I made it all the way through.

The talent was what could be expected from Duff: shallow, boring, and the same old ditsy girl role. Chris Carmack played the lying heart throb, who you may remember from old Abercrombie & Fitch ads or Luke in the OC. He makes for excellent eye-candy, but terrible acting. If there was a reason that I resisted shutting off the movie one third of the way through, it was solely thanks to his looks. Jaime Pressly made a few brief appearances as the Cosmo editor and Michael McMillian played the love interest boss. Neither performed well enough to be all that memorable.

After wasting 86 minutes of my life on Beauty and the Briefcase, I’ve lost a bit of faith in Netflix’s recommendations. I’ve also found a new appreciation for Carmack. One thing that remains the same is my extreme dislike of Duff and all of her work.

Do NOT Netflix this.

What Do You Think? Discuss.