Over the years Steve Martin has appeared in some great comedies such as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and also a few less than great one such as "Sgt. Bilko" but one which is often under rated is "HouseSitter". Collaborating with Goldie Hawn for the first time "HouseSitter" is quite a simple comedy around the old pretence of two people not realising that they are falling for each other, but it's full of clever wit and amusing performances which makes it work in a sort of fresh and funny way.

Having been dumped by his childhood love Becky (Dana Delany - A Time to Remember) having presented her with their dream house and asking her to marry him, Newton Davis (Steve Martin - Father of the Bride) returns to the city and his job as an architect. Three months later he meets Gwen (Goldie Hawn - Deceived), a waitress who he not only shares a night of romance with but also details about the house he lovingly built. But when Newton decides it's time to sell the house he is surprised to discover Gwen has found it, moved in and worst of all told everyone including Becky and his parents that she is his wife. Newton agrees to keep up the pretence as he realises that Becky is now jealous and once again interested in him.

The thing about "HouseSitter" is that whilst after about 15 minutes you know what sort of movie it will be, a take on the two people not realising they are falling in love, it's the clever and funnily contrived way it happens which entertains. When Gwen rolls into Dobbs Mill and discovers the wonderful house you know she will end up concocting a web of lies to live the life she dreamed off, but what a funny exaggerated set of lies it is. You know that Newton will show up and end up going along with the deceit as he still holds a torch for his ex causing even more exaggerated lies. And so it goes on, the lies getting bigger, more outrageous and when crunch time comes as Newton's parents hold a reception for them you wonder how they will make it all work. It's all incredibly good fun, exaggerated good fun which makes you laugh through how absurd some of the lies become.

But in amongst all these lies and comedy, "HouseSitter" also cleverly lays plans for Gwen and Newton falling for each other, little clever moments like shared tastes in crockery designs, the fact that Newton comes home with take away Chinese, which sort of fulfils one of the lies which Gwen concocted. It's all rather nice making the romance sort of believable, well sort of but it does give "HouseSitter" some meaning and stops it just feeling like one gag after another.

But it is the performances of both Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn which makes "HouseSitter" such good fun. Strangely Steve Martin seems restrained, holding back his wild and whacky persona so that he is in balance with Goldie but it works. There are moments of classic Steve Martin exuberance, the wild eyes, the visual slapstick but it is the way he tells a lie, the over the top daftness which makes every joke work. The same for Goldie Hawn whose facial expressions, the wide eyed look of shock and a smile which hides a devious mind makes everything she says touched with humour. But it is the collaboration the over the top arguments, the pretence of being a couple when with others which works so well and make for a great screen pairing.

Aside from Steve Martin & Goldie Hawn the rest of the cast aren't too bad either with Dana Delany providing just a touch of comical scheming as Newton's ex Becky and Donald Moffat is a hit as Newton's dad George, the principal of the town's school. In a scene where George asks Newton and Gwen what they think marriage is, the fact he writes the question on the blackboard is unbelievably funny.

What this all boils down to is that "HouseSitter" is a sadly under rated movie which delivers so many laughs despite using quite a simple story. It's the partnership of Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn which makes it so much fun from the humorous arguments, the pretence of being in love and the slow realisation that they are.