Much like the Coen Brothers' decision to direct Intolerable Cruelty, The Perfect Catch is one of the rare occasions where the brothers Farrelly have elected to direct material not their own making.

Instead of the slapstick comedy that the makers of Dumb & Dumber and Me, Myself & Irene are synonymous with, The Perfect Catch is an out and out rom-com, with the occasional slapstick moment thrown in for old times' sake.

Nick Hornby's hugely popular footy-based novel Fever Pitch (the title of the movie in the US) provides the basis for the Farrelly’s latest, swapping London for Boston, Arsenal for the Red Sox, Firth for Fallon.

And, despite inevitable English snobbery that changing the sport is a travesty, it actually works.

Fallon's Ben is a teacher at a local high school, and after a chance meeting with high-flying business exec Lindsay, he finds himself dating what could turn out to be his dream woman.

Cue some entertaining if not laugh-a-minute sequences revolving around the couple's friends and their good advice as Ben and Lindsay get it together.

But, as the roses begin to blossom, Ben must reveal a secret, the reason why he’s still single – an obsession with the Boston Red Sox baseball team.

Without reliance on their natural brand of humour, the Farrelly's have writing duo Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, the brains behind Parenthood, City Slickers and, more importantly, A League Of Their Own, to fill in the holes.

The script is sharp and, at times, remarkably funny. Combined with the occasional set piece that is typical Farrelly, there are plenty of laughs to be found here.

Ultimately, it's the performances of Barrymore and Fallon which keep you engaged and get you to root for them as much as they root for the Red Sox.

As for the sport itself, far from damaging the source material it is somewhat easier to suspend disbelief when the sport isn't one you are totally familiar with.

Ironically, the Red Sox shock success in the season during which the film was made almost detracts from the story – the script was originally intended to see them finish the season badly – for the 87th consecutive year.

But the Sox surprised the filmmakers, who in turn will surprise you with an innocent, well-worked, romantic comedy that does the rare thing of providing both elements in equal measure.

Rich Phippen