It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. And when his control freak bride Eva Longoria is crushed to death under an ice statue it really should have been.

So unpleasantly manipulating is Longoria's character Kate during the short time we endure her, you're tempted to get the Grim Reaper on speed dial.

So when hubbie-to-be Henry (Rudd) emerges from mourning and finds himself falling for kooky psychic Lake Bell (she sounds like a resort) it's surely a cause for some celebration.

Basically, Paul's been saved from a life of misery with a controlling harridan and found love with a engagingly deranged floozie who also runs her own catering business.

However, the odious Kate - after bawling an angel out - finds herself in a weird sort of purgatory from which she can sabotage Paul's fledgling relationship.

Invisible to her ex, she targets Bell with a wearying campaign of harassment, ranging from sleep deprivation to verbal abuse. Perhaps her idea of heaven is Guantanamo Bay.

Rudd drifts through proceedings with a pained look on his face suggesting he might garrote his agent while Jason Biggs is relegated to Bell's smitten right-hand man who might just be gay. But isn't.

It's not a bad premise but Longoria's character is painted so unsympathetically it's amazing that some PR minion didn't point it out to her.

Bell is the saving grace, making the most of an underwritten role and just managing to stay the right side of wacky in a movie that manages to make PS I Love You look like Truly Madly Deeply.

However, it's a long haul to make it to the closing credits: there's barely one decent gag to provide sustenance during such a humorously barren journey.

Eva Longoria is also a Desperate Housewife. Here she's just desperate.

Tim Evans