Solitaire for 2

I watched this movie because I wanted to see Jason Isaacs. I was new to his movies and so wasn't overly familiar with him (outside of Harry Potter) and I had to watch the movie twice through to figure out which character was him. I was stunned at his lack of British accent. If it hadn't been for his eyes I STILL wouldn't have known it was him.

Anyway, as for the movie itself, I found it unrealistic, and the main character, harsh, bitter, and totally unsympathetic. She walks around for most of the movie with a horrid chip on her shoulder and how she ever got past this to enter into a relationship with her co-character I will never understand. Maybe it's the fact that I'm probably just a dim-witted American that doesn't understand British humor, but considering I love British comedies such as Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served?, Upstairs/Downstairs, and even Red Dwarf, I don't think so.

I just felt that this movie was badly written and not even good British actors could manage to salvage it.

This movie is a pleasure to watch. Its pace, storyline and characters keep the viewer involved. The premise is almost cliché, but this particular movie brings a humanistic/realistic aspect. This movie reminds me a lot of Mel Gibson's 'what women want.' However, with major differences. First and foremost its made in the UK. This means that none of the Hollywood producers were involved. As a result the movie is honest and realistic instead of fake and over-hyped. Secondly it brings something like ESP to an everyday level. In one scene the main character, while in the company of her boyfriend, reads a mans mind and doesn't like what she 'hears' so she slaps the man and walks away. Of course the man is dumbfounded, so her boyfriend shrugs his shoulders and calmly states 'she's got ESP.'

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.

A copybook example of why the British film industry is in a dreadful mess. Trite script mouthed by clever-clever cast, dull direction and unsympathetic characterisation, the list is endless. In here somewhere is a half decent movie idea - a character that can hear people thinking (What Women Want, anyone?)..but synor blows it. Avoid.

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.