Un amour à New York

Plot

A couple search for each other years after the night they first met, fell in love, and separated, convinced that one day they'd end up together.

Cast

John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale lead and both excel while flanked by Jeremy Piven, Eugene Levy but sadly also Molly Shannon.

Verdict

Serendipity is one of those movies it's no exaggeration to say I fell in love with after my first viewing, such an endearing, gloriously woven, masterfully crafted tale and my opinion has changed but only very slightly over the years.

You see it's a wonderful romance with enough comedy to add to how charming it is but not enough to take away from its core elements. It's a movie with cast who consistently knock it out of the park and leads who deliver wonderfully. It's a film with a fantastic soundtrack (Both score and licensed), amazing cinematography and leaves you with a smile on your face. Do you know how rare you can say that about a movie? I adore Serendipity, it's everything a film should be.

Rants

So, as I said my opinion has changed and the film has dropped from a 10/10 to a 9/10 and that's because my adult sensibilities and experiences have shifted. My issue? It's the dynamic of the characters meeting while both involved with someone else, that arguably the only reason nothing happens between them is because of the elevator debacle and that they spend the next few years obsessing over each other despite being engaged to their significant others. As I've grown older I've garnered an appreciation for just how messed up this is and it ever so slightly spoils this otherwise masterpiece.

The Good

Incredible cast Fantastic soundtrack Great cinematography Wondrous script Wholesome and endearing throughout

The Bad

Molly Shannon is just awful here The cheating dynamic bothers me greatly.

... and I don't just mean Cusack either *grin*

Now, normally, I loathe romantic comedies. Wait, allow me to re-say that, I L-O-A-T-H-E romantic comedies. However, I had seen the trailer for this one several times on front row and I couldn't resist!

Okay I'll admit, I only watched this movie at first for Cusack, but I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised. The plot, though simple and obvious, played out nicely with alot of little messages in.

The humour was great (Jon's friend was great and the store clerk at bloomingdales had me falling off my seat laughing - rock on Jim's dad!)

Anyway, in more detail... I loved the way they brought the whole fate thing into it - the fiver dollar bill, the book... also I liked the subtle signs that each character was shown.

The acting was great and the jokes were genuine and funny. The only thing that annoyed me about the movie was the little kid in the devil suit... god, how many people's "little brother" is he, eh?

In closing, this movie is enjoyable, simple and romantic. If you're in to Die Hard movies ONLY, stay far, far away my friend. If you're open minded and/or romantic, then step right up and watch a great movie.

9/10

This charming romantic comedy has all the right ingredients and serves up a bouillabaisse of schmaltzy romance and slapstick fun. Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) meet in Bloomingdales when they both want to purchase the same pair of gloves. The attraction is instant and they spend a romantic evening cavorting around New York City together. At the end of the evening John wants to see her again, but Sara decides that if it is fate that they should be together, they will find each other again. She drives away in a cab and he never sees her again. Well, almost never.

Years go by and both of them are about to be married, but each still has this nagging feeling that the other was his/her one true love. Of course fate conspires to bring them back together (after about a dozen near misses) as they each simultaneously undertake one last attempt to find one another just before they get married to someone else.

The fate angle is plowed mercilessly, almost to the point of nausea, but the skits are funny and the chemistry between Cusack and Beckinsale is enchanting. Cusack is an expert at playing the tortured and neurotic lover, but here he is more haunted and forlorn than dysfunctional, and it plays much better than his previous two characters in `High Fidelity' and `America's Sweethearts'.

Kate Beckinsale rocketed from obscurity to prominence with her performance in `Pearl Harbor' and proves to be a wonderful romantic lead in this film. She is breezy and adorable and spins a delightful web around Jonathan and the viewer. The film also benefits from outstanding comedic support from Jeremy Piven as Jonathan's best friend and devoted Sara sleuth. Piven's zany comedy proves to be the perfect complement to Cusack's wry despondency. Eugene Levy is a scream as the eccentric Bloomingdales salesman, who blackmails Jonathan into buying half the store to give him information from Sara's charge account.

All in all, this is an entertaining comedy that is insubstantial but delectable. I tend to give romantic comedies a little more slack, because I'm a sucker for this slush, and this is one of the better ones I've seen in a while so I rated it a 9/10. This lighthearted romp makes a great date flick, but if serious drama is your preference stay away.

Often I spend my time with a movie outside of it, watching me watching it, imagining how and why it became what it is.

But every once in a while, I fall into the thing. It succeeds in its intent, to charm me. It happens almost never with date movie because the conventions and expectations are so rigid. That makes them obvious and invites me to step outside. But this worked for me, and it might for you.

I think it is because it does three things. The first is that it is remarkably competent; film-making — at least this kind — requires attention to so many elements. This is quite simply one of the most well engineered date movies I have ever seen in terms of those elements. No risks, no innovation, no real art except in the performances. Just polish, skill, craft.

The second is that it unashamedly touches on romance, the heart of romance as well see in movies. Its a rich notion that probably exists only in movies and a few magical times with the person you love — so you know it is real. But cinema inflates and freezes it for you to hold. Perhaps that is not so wise, but it is what romantic films are about and this plays those keys.

The third thing is what interests me the most. Mind you, I only suss this out afterward.

I have recently come to appreciate the invention of what I'll call noir, the noir world of fate. Its entirely a movie notion that as we watch, we become gods and goddesses that (perhaps against our wills) change the world we see so that coincidences apply. Often they are unhappy, but noir fate can work the other way as well. Not usually; it takes some clever invention which we have here. Its why there's mention of Cassiopeia. See? (I mean that literally.)

Its such an attractive idea, that two souls are fated to meet, (one a film producer, the other an analyst). They were born to be together, born alike in some fundamental way. The world will contrive to make the natural fit. Its something to yearn for, and that's what date movies are for: a pinnacle of happiness in love.

This captured me. I suppose it was fate. I wish something similar for you.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Serendipity...I went to meet an old friend for drink that had just moved back in to town. I was running late, parked at the opposite end of the street where I always parked and missed them. I ran into another friend who asked, me to fill in on a dart team. Then I met a man who was at the next board and talked with him all night. At the end of the night I was walked to my car by one of the guys. On the way home our paths crossed again. To make a long story short we crossed paths again, and the next day he asked me to marry him. I waited two years and we have been married for twelve years. Unfortunately yes, I was in a relationship when we met. It does happen! Even though I thought this film had a few problems. I liked the actors, the story and for gosh sake stop being so cynical everyone!!!