It's common knowledge the 16-year-old girls' hockey team captain holding forth in an internet chatroom is probably a 20-stone truck driver from Halifax.

It's just a shame no-one told workaholic tax attorney Peter Sanderson (Martin) the unwritten rules of the internet game.

He thinks he's courting winsome attorney "Legal Girl" when he's really being hooked by larger-than-life convicted bank robber Charlene (Queen Latifah).

When Peter, whose obsession with work has estranged his family, invites her round for supper he soon realises his mistake, but Charlene is not easily deterred.

Martin's career appears in the descendant, but a show-stealing turn presenting the Oscars and some wisely chosen roles ensure it's not in free-fall.

Queen Latifah basically plays the same sort of role Whoopi Goldberg was filling out in the 1970s, but that's no bad thing.

There's some wry comments on racial stereotyping - Charlene's swaggering performance at that bastion of white money, the country club, is something to behold.

However, her burgeoning relationship with Peter's colleague Howie (the ever reliable Levy) is one of the unlikeliest pairings since Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson.

There's also some neat one liners - when Peter's son has problems reading, Charlene is on hand to help out - using a girlie magazine.

"What's a rack, dad?" he asks his horrified pop. "It's a country," is the face-saving reply.

There's also a memorable scene with a racist bigot (Joan Plowright) singing a Negro spiritual to the horror of Peter and his kids.

It's crowd-pleasing stuff, jovial and light-hearted, following a well-worn path, even if it doesn't bring down the house.

Rachel Zeitlin