Quand le destin s'en mêle

Like most people who discovered STILL BREATHING - written, directed, and produced by James F. Robinson, I chanced upon this fantasy of a film while checking out Cable programs. The beginning sequence just kept me curious and wanting to know more, what's going to happen to the two main characters and so on. At the time, I just saw Brendan Fraser in "Blast From the Past" opposite Alicia Silverstone, and appreciated Joanna Going's role in another small gem, "Eden" (1997, written and directed by Howard Goldberg), as a wife-teacher-mother who has Multiple Sclerosis. STILL BREATHING has magic, and it's so relaxingly delightful!

You might say it's quirky, or want to dismiss it as mere fantasy romance. But if you believe - as the film suggests, fate takes a hand in the destined arrangement of two persons being together. The pairing of Brendan Fraser (as Fletcher, the goofy but smart, always a sincere aura about him) and Joanna Going (as the aloof, vulnerable and hesitating Ros) is a godsend unlikely possible couple. James F. Robinson's writing is just right, and his direction is right on. Kudos to October Films for distributing such a wonderful 'small' film, greatly satisfying and enjoyable. It's a surprise gem.

There are special close-ups of things - a leaf, a hand, a rock, a knee…each has its own subtle, subliminal significance. Welcome, fate and destiny. Fraser is this young man with such a dedicated and steadfast focus in what he believes - in his heart (a trait handed down from generations in his family) - it is not hokey. It's so unbelievably probable that you want it to be - to happen for real. It's romance at play without showing cupids and 'cutesy' elements. It all seems so downright natural - even thought we know we're in a fantasy Hollywood movie. It doesn't matter: you're on this seeking journey with Brendan and you're not gonna let go - can he fulfill what he held close to his unwavering heart? Joanna Going's Ros seems perfect opposite Fraser's Fletcher. It's matchless casting! Wonderful writing. Imaginative. Creative. What a love and destiny story. Ah, Fletcher and Ros. (I'm repeating myself.)

The supporting cast proves to be just as delightful: Celeste Holm as Fletcher's grandmother Ida who has versatile talents; Lou Rawls is the Tree Man who plays music; Ann Magnuson is Ros' social pal Elaine; Michael McKean is a momentarily rich business man. Yes, the menu includes classical tune played by a jazz band, puppet show to cheer a young child, stones stacking as an art, slide projections with 'geographical' touches, endearing hints of black & white flashes. There is wisdom of love, or love legend a-telling… It's San Antonio, Texas vs. L.A. city scene - which place would you choose? Depends on whom you'd be with - or shall we leave it up to fate?

The soundtrack and sound effects contribute to the whole enjoyment of STILL BREATHING. Check it out. Leave skepticism aside. Don't miss a beat.

I absolutely LOVED this movie. The way it was filmed was so beautiful. It made me want to visit Texas. I was thrilled to see Joanna Going. She was on a soap opera I used to watch a looooong time ago. She is as beautiful as ever. The characters are believable. Joanna Going's character, Roz, is a con artist but instead of disliking her you feel sympathy for her. I would watch this movie again and again. The music weaves throughout the film and makes you feel good.

For those thinking this is a chick flick, my partner brought this to me because it resonates with our story so strongly. And he is a gun-totin', beer-drinkin', crude & rude redneck. Sometimes it does happen that there's an amazing connection between people who belong together but can't necessarily believe it, because of personal histories and all of the paraphernalia of "real life". And it takes one person to believe all the time, or two people each to believe enough of the time, to carry them through the parts where you just have to *trust* the other person and take the leap. That's really what this movie is about, to us, and it captures all of that just perfectly.

The premise - sweet-natured, goofy guy gradually wins over cynical, sophisticated girl - has been around a long time, but if you get the right people involved and you're working with a patient, thoughtful script, it's foolproof. You can't go wrong. "Still Breathing" is a perfect example of this.

A cool breeze of delicate moments, tender surprises and disarming understatement, it achieves a magic that clunkers like "Simply Irresistable" can only dream about. It understands that romantic comedies are all about the hesitations, the silences, the searching looks - NOT contrived situations and screwball antics.

It also realizes that the actors who are paired have to BELIEVE in the material, in each other, and aren't just there because their agents thought it would be a good career move. Brendan Fraser and Joanna Going trust the script completely, they surrender to it. You can tell by the offhand, unforced way Fraser says his lines - knowing there's really no way he can foul them up. And Going; who looks like Winona Ryder, Teri Hatcher and Alyssa Milano (depending on the angle) shows the emotional turbulence of going from someone who is very sure of herself to suddenly not being very sure about anything at all. She's lost her innocence, then found it again but it's been so long she's lost it that she has a hard time recognizing it. It's also great to see veteran actress Celeste Holm infusing the film with her sparkle and intelligence.

A real pleasant surprise, you just find yourself melting into its gentle rhythms and not wanting it to end.

Combining eccentricity with serendipity, Still Breathing is still, almost ten years after it was first released, one of the best fate-filled and wistfully magical love stories of all time. Take one somewhat unusual street performer who is mystically drawn towards his soul mate - a hardened con artist miles away, and then back their journey towards, away and towards one another with a gorgeous soundtrack that moves effortlessly from Chopin to Carly Simon, and you've got one very touching if not markedly unique story. Fraser is great as the slightly odd lovestruck suitor as is Going, who clearly portrays her struggle with losing the grip on her tough anti-emotion veneer as it starts to crumble under Fraser's enticing conviction. The lovely locale of San Antonio, TX also adds to the charm of this special film that will leave you wondering if one soul is truly destined to be, exclusively, with another.