When I first received my copy of Dedication, the directorial debut of actor Justin Theroux, my exact thoughts were "Oh crap, not another precious romantic comedy". I liked Theroux as the crazy director in Mulholland Dr., but I wasn't sure he could actually helm a movie. Remarkably, I was proven wrong.

Dedication's packaging and premise present it as a fairly standard chick flick that no one in their right mind would ever feel like watching. The plot is little more than the romance between children's book author Henry (Billy Crudup) and his new illustrator Lucy. Rest assured, though, David Bromberg's cynically witty script and Theroux's experimental style definitely elevate Dedication to surprising levels of greatness. Henry is more than a little deranged, and Crudup plays his neuroses to perfection. He imbues the character with an uneasy hilarity, perfectly bordering between the hysterical and the tragic. Crudup completely throws himself into Henry's smart-ass, emotionally stunted persona, making his plight uncomfortably relatable. This performance is more than enough to carry the movie if need be, but Crudup isn't the only one left with the heavy lifting.

While there are certainly no slouches in Dedication, the real master-mind is undoubtedly Theroux. His adventurous style most resembles something of the French New Wave, and he seems to have remarkable control. At 95 minutes Dedication is just the right length, perfectly managing to be a great awkward romance while still being briskly entertaining. It's a pleasure to see a director subvert his film's genre while ultimately reinforcing it, and Theroux does just that. He may abuse the aesthetics of the romantic comedy like Henry abuses those around him, but Dedication still is what it is. The key difference between it and everything else being that there is actual romance, and there is actual comedy.

The only true complaint I can file with this release is the absence of any special features whatsoever. I would have loved to hear what Theroux has to say about the film, the killer soundtrack (it's a legitimately cool mix of indie rock that's way better than any of the "discoveries" Zach Braff has to offer), and how he managed to get a good performance out of Mandy Moore. Unfortunately, there is nothing to illuminate these questions, which makes me very sad.

As someone who almost uniformly bashes romantic comedies, I am by no means ashamed of admitting my love for Dedication. I absolutely fell for this movie, and think, if given the chance, it can have the same effect on most viewers. This is a film that rejects the norms of the genre, while still fulfilling the requirements of being funny and romantic. This Valentine's Day, forget the uninspired drivel currently at the multiplexes, and check out this underrated gem. It won't be a disappointment, no matter how much you usually hate romantic comedies.