Solitaire for 2

This romantic comedy has a number of unusual ideas and very quirky characters, giving the whole thing a distinct surreal touch. There were enough good ideas in this film to put a really nice piece together, but sadly the film makers did not manage that.

First problem is the casting - the lead actors do not quite fit to their envisaged screen personas. Ms Pays is a good-looking woman, but not the gorgeous uber-babe suggested by several scenes, and Mark Frankel's charm lacked sophistication: more Italian waiter than Cary Grant. Generally both leads appeared rather unsympathetic which is a major crime in this genre. The writers also did not think the characters through carefully enough, e.g. one should think that an intelligent and rational thinking woman such as Katie would have come to terms with her telepathic powers in a less violent way.

The main character (played by Amanda Pays) is arrogant, boring, violent and has absolutely no respect for anybody's privacy. She claims that her ability to mind read is a curse, but I found it hard to sympathise with her considering that she'd have no qualms about exploiting her 'curse' for her own ends.

I like most of the romantic comedies that I've seen, but this movie is barely romantic and nowhere near as funny as it should be. This is a shame because the plot had the potential to be very entertaining.

This is one of my favourite films. Although it seems it is not everyones cup of tea, and there are flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed it. After catching this on Sky, I scoured the country to get a copy on video.

Amanda Pays is lovely, even though her character appears spiteful at times. Her ability to read minds makes for a plot with amusing one liners, and results in some bizarre and comic events. Frankel's character, a master at body language, is exceptionally amusing placed in this plot where his expert ability to read thoughts - and to transmit them - through body language, is nullified by Katie's ESP.

The biggest flaw is where Katie at times can appear to read thoughts without seeing the person she's reading, although if you don't get caught up in the 'technicalities', it doesn't detract from the splendour of the film. It's a thought provoking film for anyone who ever thought "I wish I could tell what he/she is thinking", and perhaps even makes one analyse one's own thoughts".

DJ Steve Wright is quoted on the VHS cover as saying it's nearly as funny as Four Weddings and a Funeral. I didn't particularly like that film. I suspect our American friends may find it more amusing than most of the English. If you watch this film, think about the conflict between body language and thoughts.

In England, Daniel and Lucy are living together, but one day Lucy decides (while we listen to depressing classical music) that it's time to go.

Daniel teaches professionals about body language. We first see him at work in a place called The Self Centre. And paleontologist Katie happens to be there that day, speaking to a group of scientists. Daniel is attracted to her, but Katie keeps hitting him every time he flirts with her.

The truth is that Katie wants a man, but she knows what they are all thinking. And she's tired of men who are only interested in her appearance. She wants men to like her for her intelligence.

Daniel keeps getting pulled over for speeding by the same female cop. Katie's co-worker Sandip Tamar, at what appears to be a large university, seems to appreciate her for her mind.

Will Daniel ever find a woman? Will Katie ever find a man? Will they end up with each other?

Harry is Daniel's best friend, and he is married to Caroline; they have a daughter Clare. Parris is one of Daniel's more nervous students.

I thought this was intelligently written, and Amanda Pays gave one of the better performances out of a fine cast. Katie didn't always react in the expected ways, and this was more than just a formula movie. This might not appeal to those who enjoy mindless sitcoms and popular films that the critics hate. But it might just work for those who go to independent theaters to see films no one ever heard of.

There was a lot of good classical music, though I didn't necessarily like all the music there was. Some of the music was contemporary, high-energy pop.

A couple of scenes stand out, even if they weren't laugh-out-loud funny. In one, we can hear the thoughts of all the lecherous men in one bookshop. I don't know Katie's reaction because that's one of the times the sound went out. In another, there are balloons and the band Right Said Fred. I'd rather not say what that was all about, because it could be considered a spoiler.

For me, this was a challenge to watch, because it could be boring at times, but there was enough here to make it satisfying.

In London, the wolf Daniel Becker (Mark Frankel) prepares executives to have attitude based on their body language. His best friend is Harry (Jason Isaacs), who is married with a child with Caroline (Maryam d'Abo). The paleontologist Katie Burrough (Amanda Pays) researches with her Indian coworker Sandip Tamar (Roshan Seth) at the museum of London. Katie is a beautiful woman capable of reading minds and she creates problems with men everywhere since they are always thinking how desirable she is. When they meet each other, they have a date and Daniel falls in love with her. After many problems, she agrees to be blindfolded since she can not mind with her eyes covered. Daniel proposes Katie to get married but she is a dedicated scientist and together with Sandip, they have made a discovery and she needs to travel to India. What will she do?

"Solitaire for 2" is an original and charming romantic comedy where she gorgeous Amanda Pays performs the role of a woman capable to hear what other people is thinking. Mark Frankel shows great chemistry with Amanda Pays that is in the top of her beauty and despite the silly story, the film is a good entertainment. The stylish music score is magnificent since Daniel is fan of classical music. In 2000, "What Women Want" uses the storyline of capability to read minds in a successful film with Mel Gibson in the lead role. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Pensamentos Perigosos" ("Dangerous Thoughts")