Alchemy

5 August 2006. For those who really enjoyed this movie, do I have a much better one to suggest - Electric Dreams (1984). Even those it's 20 years old, this older movie has the soundtrack as well as a nice romantic comedy script that really touches the heart and goes to the essence of the artificial intelligence controversy. Alchemy, unfortunately seems forced, even though more likely scientifically more plausible than Electric Dreams or A.I., the need to introduce and change the rules of the game in favor the computer program makes for a rather dissonant and artificial flavor ironically. The comedy seems forced. The overall plot and the essence of the movie is decent, it just doesn't have the fun and magic that Electric Dreams had. Five out of Ten Stars.

Just caught this in its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. At the Q&A after, someone in the audience described this movie perfectly -- it's the kind of comedy Hollywood used to make so well, before the movies started drowning in their own stupidity. "Alchemy" is laugh- out-loud funny, immensely charming, a whole lot of fun, and -- amazingly enough -- doesn't insult your intelligence! Not much else to say about it, other than that (like my favorite documentary, "Spellbound") it's a movie that absolutely everyone should and will enjoy. Will be very curious to see how many millions this movie makes when the general public gets to see it.

Oh, and one other thing -- Tom Cavanagh (from "Ed") as "Jerry", the gay French computer program (you'll know what I mean when you see it)....Hilarious!!

Just returned from the Annapolis Film Festival and I came here to comment on ALCHEMY, the opening night film that seemed to go over really well at the Festival. As I got to IMDb, I was surprised to see so many bad reviews, however, I think most people judge things much too harshly these days. After all, this is a romantic comedy, not exactly a genre meant to break new ground in film. But rather, one that is purely meant to entertain.

And, IMHO, this film does just that. It entertains. It's a cute, funny movie, and worth seeing. Heck, it's worth seeing if only for the performance of Sarah Chalke, who brought a realism and believability to the romance. See the film, and you WILL know what I mean.

So often, in lower budget films the acting can be a major weakness, but here, it's a major strength. And in my opinion, none was better than Chalke, who I couldn't quite place where I recognized her from. There was a Q&A afterward, and the director reminded me that Miss Chalke is on SCRUBS. Overall, I really enjoyed this romantic comedy, so much so, that I will be looking for it again on ABC Family Channel.

After all, it does what it's supposed to do: entertain the viewer!

I have to say up front that I'm a big fan of both Tom Cavanagh and Sarah Chalke, but I hadn't heard of this film until I ran across it in the Indy film section my local video store.

This was a delightful film. So many recent romantic comedies that I've seen are so completely lifeless - the cast doesn't seem to be having fun with each other. The exact opposite is true here.

The two leads are at the top of their game, and though the script is a tad formulaic, the acting more than makes up for it. Tom Cavanagh has the approach of a Jimmy Stewart or a Tom Hanks. And Sarah Chalke has the kooky klutziness of a Doris Day or a Kate Hepburn. Well, maybe that's overstating it a bit, but give this film another 40 or 50 years, and I'm betting it will be remembered fondly.

Great supporting cast too, they really gave the film some weight. Here's to independent comedies. Definitely worth a viewing

I happened to enjoy this flick. Although the plot-line was somewhat predictable, it's still good for some laughs. Tom is probably one of the best actors in his time and I think the character he had to portray in this movie fit him perfectly. Some may say that the movie looks like it was recorded from a TV show but come on, not every film maker can get the funding that some movies like Titanic and Troy and Lord of The Rings got. I think that we are all too used to the exaggeration of love. Chick flicks like "Serendipity" (I still love that movie but it's true) and adaptations of different Shakespeare pieces like "10 Things I Hate About You"... while they're excellent movies, their portrayal of love is mostly fictitious. I think this movie is somewhat refreshing. It simplifies the matter of love. Love can be too complicated some times and these fictitious movies fuel that complication. Sometimes you just need to sit back, relax and enjoy a movie that's simple. I think that is exactly what Alchemy is.