Le 'cygne' du destin

When I check my voting history, I see I have voted for movies rather generously. But I never actually gagged to give a movie a 9 and felt inhibited not to go beyond 7. I wish this movie let me love it a little bit more.

The story is very simple and popular. Actually, in my country, at least a dozen movies are made every decade on a plot like this one. So, it's not the catchy story or an end twist that people love these kinda movies for. So, when you already know what is gonna happen and how, complete attention falls on things like cinematography and compelling conversations.

This movie has wonderful moments. Well, with Jude Law, that is no surprise. I wanted to see this movie for Gretchen Mol. She is spontaneous, but not brilliant. The thing is, for this movie, she did not have to be. But when a sensitive viewer is watching the film, certain things should be left unsaid for his mind to synthesize and derive. If everything is discussed on a round table (not literally), it becomes more educational and less charming. That is what is pulling this movie down. Movies like French Kiss or Addicted to Love never surprised any viewer with a climax. But those films took their breaths away no doubt. I wish this one was a little more subtle and metaphoric. That way, I would not have to settle for a 7.

Though there is no surprise in the end, the end is very beautiful. Feels like it's filmed by some different director than the one who filmed the educational speeches. But anyway, this is a lovely film to see. You might find it very good, or just good, depending on how forgiving you are in real life. There is no way you are gonna regret spending your good money on it. I recommend it. Who am I to recommend? You don't wanna know.

Just like the other comment above, I had never heard of this film before but saw it (twice!) on the in-flight entertainment of a long flight back from down under. The overall feeling of the film is a bit like a condensed John Irving novel (Hotel New Hampshire): a sprawling storyline concerning an eccentric family with delightful sub-plots involving the births, deaths and loves of the various members. But because the film works on a much smaller scale than a huge doorstop novel, the characters are developed very economically in the film. However, thanks to an absolutely inspired bit of casting, with the likes of Jeniffer Tilly and Brenda Blethyn as the dying mother, the film works extremely well. And of course the chemistry between the two leads, Jude Law and Gretchen Mol, is undeniable and provides much of the appeal of the film. An absolute must see love story which skips beautifully over the potential cliches of the genre, and will have you laughing and crying in equal measures.

OK, if you're in the mood for a slightly nutty romantic comedy, go for this one.

The subplot, with Jennifer Tilly's performance as a shy, sheltered blind girl, reluctantly coming out of her shell, is totally luminous (sorry 'bout the cliche, but no other word fits), without resorting to the corniness of "A Patch of Blue." To me, it was actually a more affecting story than the main plotline.

The other actors do a great job, especially Brenda Blethyn (what do they teach in British acting class?), Martha Plimpton, and Jayne Adams. The story moves along nicely, and one event seems to flow naturally into another.

My guess is, if there had been an A-List Hollywood star on board, like, eg, Bruce Willis, this little film might have gotten quite a bit more recognition. But the chemistry would have been completely different.

Bring a date and some popcorn, and enjoy.

When I first began to watch this movie, I thought, OH BOY this is going to be BORING! The plot did not make a whole lot of sense and the characters seemed to be picked out of nowhere. There was nothing cohesive about this movie at ALL!! Then, Jesus appears (the character named Jesus that is) and the audience is drawn away from the main romance (which at this point seems to be beyond any hope) to a side romance that is truer to life than anything I had ever seen. The instant and simple bond between Nina and Jesus was almost electric. It was not sensual or erotic, it was sweet and endearing. It was how love SHOULD be. Its the kind of romance/friendship/love that everyone looks for. One that is selfless and kind. It is worth watching this movie JUST to see the Nina/Jesus romance.... This movie proves that side romances are indeed the best, because they restore our hope in what seems to be an impossible goal.

"Music from Another Room" is a light-hearted romantic comedy about a persistent chap with his heart set on one woman. Jude Law's engaging performance as the lovestruck Danny itself makes the film worth seeing. Jennifer Tilly (Anna's blind sister, Nina), Vincent Laresca (Jesus, Anna's boyfriend/husband), Martha Plimpton (Karen, Anna's feminist sister), Jane Adams (Anna's gun-toting sister in law) also deliver wonderful performances in their offbeat supporting roles. The only significant error is in casting Gretchen Mol as Danny's Anna, because Mol never allows us to understand why Danny or any man should bother with the bland and one-dimensional Anna. Mol's Anna is unlikeable from beginning to the end of the film and unfortunately never seems to be worthy of Danny's admiration.