Chaos Theory

Spontaneity is not a highly esteemed commodity in Frank Allen's catalogue of virtues. An efficiency trainer by avocation, Frank is a man whose own life is organized entirely around to-do lists, time charts and abstrusely calculated probabilities. Then, one day Frank becomes a victim of circumstances so utterly beyond his control that he is forced to abandon his old way of thinking and adopt a new philosophy of life altogether, that of throwing caution to the wind and letting his every mercurial whim determine the course of his actions (he shuffles index cards to determine what it is he should do next).

"Chaos Theory," a small but insightful movie written by Daniel Taplitz and directed by Marcos Siega, boasts a cleverly addled storyline, some sharp, witty dialogue and energetic performances by Reynolds, Emily Mortimer and Stuart Townsend, the latter two as Frank's wife and best friend, respectively. The plot complications get pretty hot and heavy at times but, as with all good comedy, things have a way of straightening themselves out in the end.

Though there may be a few too many musical montage sequences in the movie for my taste - they always seem to be used as shortcuts to get the heart soaring or the tear ducts flowing - the movie has a fluidity and charm that raise it above any possible shortcomings. Moreover, the Pacific Northwest setting provides a scenic backdrop for all the amusing shenanigans taking place on center stage.

Chaos Theory is an enjoyable little film that tells the story of Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) who's a professional speaker that gives lectures on time management,and his life is perfectly ordered and scheduled.One day his wife sets his clock forward 10 minutes thinking that she had just done the opposite and Frank's day is thrown off.First he arrives late to an out-of-town lecture and then his life starts to unravels in ways he never expected.Along the way he makes several interesting discoveries about his family and comes to the conclusion that being so obsessive, so organized and so uptight did nothing for his life. Smart and well thought, Chaos Theory is enjoyable throughout although it never reaches greatness.There are a few interesting ideas and a lot of potential and the movie could definitely have been taken to another level but still, its a solid movie.The film is very well balanced; it delivers some laughs at the right time,but also has a very serious and dramatic side as well.The soundtrack is was surprisingly very good and its composed mainly by independent bands. Ryan Reynolds is tremendous as the lead character,Frank, and completely believable.He's the driving force of the movie and a pleasure to watch.Stuart Townsend and Emily Mortimer did good too as the best friend and the wife respectively . All in all,Chaos Theory is only slightly above average but still worth seeing.

7/10

I can't believe this one flew under my radar for almost two years. Chaos Theory is one of those rare gems in between, you never hear it being talked about but has also built quite a fanbase. Chaos Theory is a quirky, surprising little gem with a great script and an impressive vision. Directed by Marcos Siega (Pretty Persuasion), the movie works on both ends. It has enough comedy to give a chuckle or two and exact amount of drama for the love sick. Ryan Reynolds, whether you love him or hate him, is always the impressive actor and this is by far one of his best on screen performance. Emily Mortimer is always terrific and the elusive Stuart Townsend graces us with his charisma and almost-never-seen talent. This is a rarity of a gem with a great cast and a perfect blend of heartwarming drama and spot-on comedic timing.

However, its never gonna get the wide audience that it deserves mainly because the stars aren't exactly top draws in the box office which is just sad really because the wider audience would rather just watch a dude dressed as a lady in a fatsuit (I'm looking at you Tyler Perry) than real good quality film-making.

The surprising thing about Chaos Theory was the way it was rather staid "date flick" fare, but would occasionally punch through the safety barrier and say something wickedly true and profoundly, deeply passionate and beautiful.

It's a great story about truth and connection, and how sometimes connection needs to be reinstated and preserved even in the face of the failure to fully disclose the truth.

To get a little technical, there were times when I was especially appreciative of the writing. Really great, grabs-you-and-won't-let-go screen writing is rare these days; how weird to find it in a flick like this; but there you have it! Kudos! The writing in the scene leading up to Buddy sitting on the go-'round ride in the playground with Susan had me in tears; right up there with the classics.

You may have noticed a hint of a qualification in the foregoing, and that's because there were those other de rigueur features of the standard date flick I didn't appreciate so much. Didn't care for a lot of the song selections; kind of country-trite. If it weren't for the supremely humanizing bits of writing mentioned above, I feel some of the characters would have come across a bit hollow, and they otherwise sometimes teeter on the edge of falling into that pit.

But... OK: The writing, directing, acting, editing, most of the narrative pacing work just fine and shed real light on love and life.

See this flick! Heck: Take a date!

Jesse Allen (Elisabeth Harnois) is getting married but her groom Ed (Mike Erwin) has cold feet. He finds out that she was with somebody else when they broke up. Her father Frank (Ryan Reynolds) finds him sneaking out the back door and sits him down for a talk. He tells him about his life with his wife Susan (Emily Mortimer), womanizing best friend Buddy Endrow (Stuart Townsend) and Paula Crowe (Sarah Chalke).

There is a slight comedic tone in the movie that is ill-fitting. The story struggles to get going. The characters are not that appealing. The misunderstanding is ridiculously stupid. It feels like a silly sitcom. When Frank goes crazy, the movie gets better. If only the movie can figure out how to get there without the silly setup.