Onde Tudo Acontece

A uneven day in a mundane café.Everyone brought his own problems into the scene.And suddenly all the problems were solved just before the credit started rolling.I have no problem with happy ending.But this movie seems so trivial and unfocused.It's not trite,and not subversive also.Just sort of stuck in the middle,the director intended to try something new and just fell by the wayside.Although there are so many characters,each in a different quandary,but there is no one we can really relate to or even makes us feel a little bit resonant.Mena Suvari is still edgy and smarting.Katherine Heigl grabbed the chance to play a totally different character during the hiatus.Callum Blue is once again a sleazy but enchanting lover.Jules Leyser did a good work portraying the canny but vulnerable,soon-bride-to-be,lawyer.But none of these cameos left any impression for you to consider what if you were in his/her shoes.

Cringe.

Although this was made only twenty years ago, it already feels like it is a 'period' piece. It was made in the noughties, in the last days of lad culture in London and boy, does it show.

Terrible writing, disjointed direction. It felt like each scene was constantly trying to outdo the last in terms of outrageousnesses, swearing and general silliness.

I remember when this came out they tried to Market it as a British Friends....errr.....that's a miss then.

None of the cast display any great ability for comedy acting, the setting being permanently in the cafe becomes boring and the conversations just meander around without going anywhere.

Avoid.

This film is about the chaotic events that happen in a day in a medium-sized London cafe.

Many have compared this film to "Waiting". I think this film focuses more on interpersonal relationships and emotional aspects following shocking revelations. It could have been a great film exploring such issues. However, the story is not so well written. There is too much jumping about from one character to another, making it slightly hard to follow, and decreases to coherence of the plot. It is not so much a comedy, as there are few funny moments. If it was not marketed as a comedy, then there would have been less disappointment.

If screenwriter Dean Craig was a friend of yours you'd be quite hard pressed to find something nice to say (because of course, you could never tell him the truth, which is that Caffeine is a pretty awful movie.

There is a reason why nearly everyone who's commented on the film makes reference to the bad British accents put on by the American actors, most notably Mena Suvari and Mark Pellegrino. What's truly frightening is that the IMDb references the latter as an acting teacher and his performance is the most over-the-top in a film full of forced situations and performances. And this includes Callum Blue who, while adorable, is playing his Mason from "Dead Like Me," which probably would've fine if he'd been given better lines (and situations).

Surprisingly, the most spot-on accent is done by one of the lesser-known actors, actor Mike Vogel (who Dean on "Grounded for Life"). Katherine Heigl's accent is actually not bad (and certainly far superior to Suvari's and Pellegrino's). Roz Witt's, too, is terrible. It was quite smart of Breckin Meyer to just be American.

It's the film's weakest element -- the idea of insisting it be set in a London restaurant, when it could be set anywhere, especially where the weaker American actors could focus on their performances rather than a wobbly accent. Repeatedly throwing in a "bloody," "shag," "knickers," "shat," or "fancy," just isn't enough to effectively establish this as London.

From the opening scene, it's obvious that this was filmed in Los Angeles. Every outdoor shot has the same two old-school Brit Taxi and Double Decker bus passing back and forth. All three vehicles are preserved like they've been borrowed from the Petersen (Car) Museum.

Ah, here's what you could say to Craig -- his actors are very attractive.

First of all, I have to come to the defence (spelled with a 'c') of the actors' British accents. Unless your name is Henry Higgins, I don't think you'll mind what you hear here. Now Keanu Reeves doing Shakespeare or Julia Roberts doing Mary Reilly, THOSE are bad accents. In "Caffeine" the two American fakers had me fooled enough to think they were actual Brits.

Now on to the movie. Like many good Brit comedies, the overall plot isn't as important as the witty criss-crossing of subplots. Like a clever stage play, that and some good acting is all you need. The whole story is set in a restaurant: the dining room, kitchen, and back balcony. Basically it's "a day in the life" of a bunch of oddball characters working and dining in a cafe.

The stories revolve mostly around romantic/sexual relationships and the absurd situations they create. Like a good Shakespearean romp... or the 70s sitcom "Three's Company", all the mayhem is the result of misunderstandings, awkwardness and overreactions. The film starts out somewhat tame, but as it progresses and we get to know each character, they seem to become increasingly insane. One of my fave segments was the meek vegetarian girl who was subjected to an excruciating blind date with a gun-toting macho man. By the time the movie is near its end, anything goes.

If you like dialogue-driven films that feel like plays, such as "Death at a Funeral" (original version 2007), "Le dîner de cons" (original version 1998), "My Tiny Universe" (2004), "Deathtrap" (1982) or even the classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966), I think this movie will be worth your time.