Hugh Laurie: 90%, James Purefoy: 30%

Infertility treatment doesn't sound like the most promising subject matter for a comedy and Maybe Baby proves this to be true. Somehow everything is soured by the underlying theme and however much the actors try, they can't rise above the patchy script and strange atmosphere.

The Blueshirts are the high points. Hugh Laurie is convincing as the sweet and bumbling Sam and looks quite athletic in the love scenes, if a little uncomfortable. As usual James Purefoy smoulders for England. One of the best lines is "He looked like a dispossessed owner of a stately home on the moors. I swear his aftershave smelt of heather!".

Erm, what else? Joely Richardson is very pretty as is London. No litter, no hassle, just lots of parks and very photogenic houses. In fact it seems like she's never moved out of the Disneyfied 'Leicester Square is next door to Regents Park' London of 101 Dalmatians. But that moan's for another time.

All in all this is a deflated souffle of a film but if you can put up with it the scene where James recites a Shakespearian sonnet is probably worth the ennui!

• Bonuses: The ubiquitous Tom Hollander doing a Billy-Connolly accent as a trendy Scottish film director, Joanna Lumley as a Patsy-a-like, Emma Thompson's cameo as a hippie and Dawn French's Australian nurse.