H. Bala 2008-10-06
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Call me a wide-eyed ninny, but I bought into the film's premise. SERENDIPITY isn't a romantic comedy as much as it is a fantasy romantic comedy, and how much you like this film will depend in part on how much of a cynic or a dreamer you are. Me, I'm the wide-eyed ninny.
The story is about two people, Jonathan and Sara, who meet - and fall for each other - during one perfect New York evening five days before Christmas, but then decide to leave love to fate. If they meet again, then it was meant to be. But it doesn't pan out, and Jonathan and Sara are gone, just like that, from each other's lives. Cut to several years later, and the two are engaged, but not to each other. Still, echoes of that one enchanted night linger. And Jonathan and Sara, now separated by opposite coasts, decide to make one last-ditch effort to find fate...
SERENDIPITY is a fluffy, feel-good, head-in-the-clouds romance. It doesn't seek to impart lessons, although you do learn the one thing the Greeks ask when someone has passed on. It's a comedy, and with the likes of John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, and scene-stealer Eugene Levy gracing the screen, it's a good comedy, with several standout, laugh-out-loud gems. Plot wise, it's not that multi-layered. Basically, for most of the film, Cusack desperately chases down clues to Beckinsale's identity and Beckinsale, after stressing out about her engagement, finally opens herself up to chance and to serendipity. There are many moments where they barely miss each other or unknowingly find a connection to each other.
The deal breaker, of course, is that the film does ask that you soak in coincidence after coincidence (or near coincidence, more like), with that five dollar bill being perhaps the most far fetched gimmick used. The film requires two intelligent, believable leads to make the implausible premise work, to be these two characters who realize that what they're doing is totally ridiculous, but, hey, they're caught out in love, and there's nothing to do but go ahead and chase the moon. John Cusack, pretty much today's consensus go-to guy whenever an everyman lead role needs to be cast, is a no-brainer. He's a natural actor, and a fantastic re-actor. Kate Beckinsale, heartachingly beautiful and classy and British, lights up the screen with Cusack. And did I mention that she's heartachingly beautiful? (I think we should forgive her for PEARL HARBOR.) For those who haven't seen this movie yet, there's a bit of Sleepless in Seattle (10th Anniversary Edition) going on here, as Jonathan and Sara, after the first 18 minutes of the movie, don't appear together until the end of the movie. Cusack and Beckinsale are so good together that we can't help but root for them.
Cusack and Piven demonstrate a different kind of chemistry, as well as impeccable timing, in their scenes together. Apparently, according to the director's audio commentary, Piven's supporting role wasn't going to be that large, but then Piven's skills came into play. His character is that of a glib-talking obituary writer for the New York Times, and I kind of feel that more funny could've been squeezed out from the obit writer angle. For whatever it's worth, Piven delivers one of the funniest Best Man's speeches ever put to cinema.
There's an old-fashioned feel to SERENDIPITY, partly because of the classic New York backdrop and partly because Cusack and Beckinsale simply exude a timeless charisma; I believe that they would've done well in any era in motion pictures. Throw in that part of the movie takes place over the holiday season, lending an even more sentimental vibe to the story. And then there's the pitch-perfect movie score and soundtrack to underscore the story and acting. Meanwhile, time lapse photography is well used to denote not only the passage of time but to also infuse energy into the scenes. As well, the director points out, this device allows us a deeper glimpse into what the characters are feeling (as exemplified in Sara's flight to New York).
One nice thing the movie does is to not depict Jonathan and Sara's respective intendeds as unlikable characters. Not only would that have been too easy an out, but it would've cheapened Jonathan and Sara's romance. As it is, we end up with a very good but bittersweet moment between Jonathan and his fiancee, played by Bridget Moynahan. I liked that Bridget's character is lovely and loving, and that the only thing wrong with her is that she isn't Sara.
And then there's Lars, Sara's fiance. Another sample of the film's sometimes whimsical leanings is that Lars is a New Age Yanni-type musician. John Corbett plays him quite seriously, which somehow makes Lars an even funnier character. Lars seems to be a nice guy.
The pragmatist in me argues that there's no such thing as a fortunate accident, no such thing as serendipity. That you can't count on it, anyway. But, in watching movies, of course you're allowed to dwell in fantasies, momentarily. Now and then, you can simply cave in to the story, especially when the actors are this good. Even when, yes, the coincidences seem too labored. SERENDIPITY is a fluffy, feel-good, head-in-the-clouds romance. I happen to find it irresistible.
Lastly, the movie made me want to look up Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera (okay, so mostly I can flip to the first page).
