Be honest,
do I look like Meg Ryan?
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|
Undiluted gush
for those romantics who love their films to have a happy ending.
Nigel
Bell
It's fair to say that if you've seen Sleepless In Seattle
and You've Got Mail, then you've seen Serendipity.
But by no means
let that put you off going to see this movie.
Yes it's predictable,
yes it's far fetched but for this time of year when everyone (hopefully)
has a few days of loving each other it's the perfect film to bring
a little warmth to your heart.
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| No no,
John not Tom |
Picture the
scene; it's Christmas in New York, Bloomingdales is bursting to
the seams and two people end up grabbing for the same (and last)
pair of gloves for their respective loved ones.
Their eyes meet
and, hey presto, before you know it Sara (Beckinsale) and Jonathan
(Cusack) are enjoying a romantic meal together.
But when it
comes to saying goodbye the customary exchanging of telephone numbers
doesn't take place. Remember, this couple are already romantically
involved elsewhere.
So Jonathan
writes his number on a $5 bill and Sara's in a book which she promptly
sells.
If they are
meant to be, Sara believes fate will bring these important pieces
of information together again and all will live happily ever after.
Seven years
later the couple are still with different partners and Jonathan
is on the verge of marriage.
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| Happy ever
after? Not for me |
Desperate to
try one more time to find Sara, he encourages his New York Times
colleague to embark on a seemingly wild goose chase. Luckily Sara
is also having cold feet over her dalliance with a rock star.
This is a buddy
movie and a chick movie all rolled into one.
Given the events
of September 11th, it's nice to see some really nice photography
of New York at Christmas time, especially around the ice rink in
Central Park.
There's also
a great performance Eugene Levy (of American
Pie 2 fame) as the shop assistant from hell.
If there's one
downside, and this isn't giving too much away in a film where you
know the ending before it starts, it's that Jonathan's girlfriend
Halle is left with no one.
Far enough if
she'd been painted as a bitch but Halle is a genuinely nice person
throughout the film, does nobody any wrong, yet loses out.
Seems Christmas
can be a humbug afterall.
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