La chance de ma vie

ME MYSELF I (2000) **1/2 Rachel Griffiths, David Roberts, Sandy Winton, Yael Stone, Shaun Loseby, Trent Sullivan. (Dir: Pip Karmel) Rachel Griffiths has always struck me as a lankier, sexier déjà vu of Juliette Lewis, but with more sublimity than her American compatriot. The Australian actress – who received a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1998 for 'Hilary and Jackie' – has always been interesting to observe onscreen since I first noticed her in the indie surprise hit 'Muriel's Wedding'. Here she gets to be funny and succeeds more often than the film itself.

Griffiths stars as Pamela, a self-observed Type A writer for a woman's magazine that is always on the go and busy even on her birthday which proves to be a hindrance than a blessed event when she begins to sink into suicidal depression over the latest break up in a string of faceless, nameless lovers with no satisfying reason to continue her breakneck freestyling life. After several hilarious half-hearted attempts to do herself in (including the gradual lowering of a hair drier into her bubble bath) her wish comes true when she is knocked unconscious after walking into oncoming traffic. When she awakens she isn't herself but instead her fantasy self – a married woman with three children wed to her high school crush Robert (Roberts) – and finds the sudden change to be challenging but in the end rewarding.

Along the way she comes across sexy Ben (Winton) from her previous existence again and must decide on being a stay at home writer or a freestyling single with an active sex life.

Throughout Griffiths is winning as the new found mother juggling her tykes, writing and her husband – all experiencing a new and improving person as well. But the film's familiarity – from 'It's A Wonderful Life' to the Gwyneth Paltrow flick 'Sliding Doors' – ends up derailing the storyline altogether even if it is presented with a lot of energy.

No denying the talents of Rachel Griffiths and her turn in this "dual" role shows that she is quite capable of carrying a film. Also, a great comic turn, with a flush of drama.

The film goes where we would all like to go, (It's a Wonderful Life style) the path not taken. Answers to the "what if's" that plague a person over time.

Terrific handling of the subject matter and great performances by the supporting cast.

Compare the hollywoodian 'bigger than life' approach of "The Family Man" -- luxurious flat/sports car/supermodel girlfriend vs perfect family, nice house, lovely wife -- with down-to-earth approach of "Me Myself I" -- single professional woman living alone vs housewife in the suburbia. That's a script: about credible characters, a touching slice of life, real people. A pleasure to watch.

If Rachel Griffiths keeps this up, she is going to be a potent force in feature films. She continues to show her versatility in both dramatic and comedic roles. This delightful comedy reinforces the notion that you need to be careful what you wish for. Pamela Drury (Rachel Griffiths) is a successful journalist whois having a mid life crisis as another birthday rolls around. She is afraid that despite all she has accomplished, she might have been happier if she married Robert Dickson and raised a family.

One day, through mechanisms unexplained other than the magic of cinema, she is hit by a car while crossing the street by her twin, Pamela Dickson, whom I can only assume is living in some parallel universe. Drury discovers that Dickson is actually living the life she wondered about, married to Robert with three children. Suddenly Dickson disappears, leaving Drury in her place. Now Pamela begins to discover the multidimensional joys of marriage and family from the front lines. She is so ill equipped for the experience, that it produces a parade of comical situations that range from mildly amusing to absolutely hysterical.

This is a virtuoso performance by Griffiths, who has impressed me in every role I've seen her play. She was outstanding in `Hillary and Jackie' delivering a compelling dramatic performance of a complex character in a supporting role. In this film, she has the lead and she runs with it. At various times she is called upon to be dynamic, sexy, compassionate, affectionate, independent, helpless and despondent and she handles this incredible range fabulously in every case. She is a terrific comedian with excellent timing and a knack for physical comedy.

This is a very funny and enchanting film. `What If' movies seem to be popping up everywhere lately, and this is the best one I've seen. I rated it a 9/10. It is extremely entertaining and I recommend it highly. It is a shame it didn't reach a wider audience.

Me, Myself, I combines two genres of romantic comedy: the "body swap" with the "what if?" story (you know, Dating the Enemy meets Sliding Doors). The film flounders a little in the first twenty minutes or so as it establishes Pamela (Rachel Griffiths), single and luckless in love. Pamela is a journalist, and has just met a fellow writer (Sandy Winton) who seems to be the perfect mate. Until she sees him with his kids... Pamela is wondering what her life would have been like if she'd married high school sweetheart Robert Dickson (David Roberts) when WHAM! she's hit by a car. She comes to in the arms of married Pamela (also Rachel Griffiths) who takes her home to her suburban house, three kids and married life with Robert.

This is writer-director Pip Karmel's first feature (she received an Oscar nomination for editing Shine). Karmel is obviously close to her material, but she's not overly protective of it - she wants us to enjoy her conception. She has the perfect star in Rachel Griffiths, who we're more used to seeing in supporting roles (most famously, Muriel's Wedding and Hilary and Jackie). She carried a film in Amy, but she played a glum, washed-out single mum. Here, she's a lot of fun. You want to know more about Pamela, and the subtle differences between the single and married Pamelas are simply, but impressively, conceived. She's well supported by David Roberts and Sandy Winton, as husband and potential boyfriend. Refreshingly for a romantic comedy, the men aren't thoroughly likeable or dislikeable. I found it easy to suspend my disbelief with Me, Myself, I. It's that rare beast: an Australian romantic comedy that's funny, and leaves you with a warm glow inside when it's over.