Hey folks, Harry here. This actually sounds like it might possibly be a good "date" flick, but I'm wary... I see that it is from the director of... BLACK KNIGHT, and I'll never forget enduring that trailer over and over again... Gil Junger has a ton of Television credits and very few film credits, but I have to say... this review from Fudgehammer, actually makes me curious about the film... BUT WARNING... Fudgehammer does talk about the END OF THE MOVIE. So... if you want to avoid knowing the twists, stop reading when he warns you about the spoiler ahead, otherwise enjoy reading his tortured existence. Hehehehe... Here ya go...
Greetings guys,
Tonight I went to a screening of If Only, the new Jennifer Love Hewitt film. Ever had a relationship that you were happy being in, but didn't realize how much you loved this person till it was over? Things you wished you hadn't taken for granted? If you had a friend or loved one that you would never see again, how would you spend your last day with them? "If only I had said...things would be different." Hence, the title and plot of this "date movie".
Jennifer Love Hewitt is studying music in London, and lives with boyfriend, Paul Nicholls. She is obviously in love with him, but we're not sure how he feels. He's not too keen on joining her for a trip back to the States, he forgets about her recital, etc. Granted, he's got a big project due at work, which could really make his career, but is that a valid excuse? Women in the audience are shouting, "NO!' He gets in a cab driven by Tom Wilkinson, who seems to know all is not right in the relationship, and warns him, "What if you never see her again?" Unlike the real world, Paul wakes up and gets a second chance at the previous day's events. He ends up having serious deja vu issues. Some things he's able to change, others he simply delays. The first time around, Jennifer burns her hand on a coffee pot, while the next time, it's on her curling iron. Little things like that.
I liked this movie, and it reminded me of Sliding Doors, and Twice Upon A Yesterday, which were similar in nature, and location. I guess London is the only area where couples get a new lease on life. I have never seen Paul Nicholls before, he's kind of a cross between Jude Law and Jason London, but he carries the picture effortlessly. Very good actor. Jennifer is not too shabby either, and she has several scenes where she is in her underwear, which is always a good thing to have in front of you! Diana Hardcastle also brings a lot to her too brief role of Paul's secretary.
The direction and pacing were fine, but there are two of J Love's songs that are stuck in, that seemed out of place. When each of them ended, I expected to see the little Artist, Song, & Album thing pop up. Love also produced this, so there you go. Again, this is a date movie. Not bad, not great. There's tense drama, and lighthearted romance. At one point in the movie, Paul gives Jennifer a gift that had all the women in the audience tearfully saying, "awwww."
The only negative rant I have about this, is the ending. If you don't want to know the plot and ending, then take your date and have fun. Don't read on, MAJOR SPOILER ahead!
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Normally, I don't like to give too much away, but this ending really bugged me. Okay, so Jennifer is killed in a car accident, and Paul is trying to keep this from happening the second time around. He never told her how he truly felt about her, and took her for granted, so he does all the romantic things he can, lets his feelings out, and so on. So when the car accident comes again, he's killed instead, and she wakes up in the hospital. I'm thinking, the movie's almost over, but are they gonna start the day a third time, where everything works out? NO! She's briefly sad, and then is happily singing in a coffee shop somewhere! THE END. What is that?! This was written by two women, Allison Burnett and Christina Welsh, which is probably why this film will strike a chord with female movie patrons over the males. Is this whole film a warning to the men in the audience to treat the ladies better? "It's your fault the breakup happened, and if you were gone tomorrow I'd move on while you would suffer if it was vice versa!" Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who must have a happy ending, but in this case it just seemed malicious instead of tragic. What was the point of him going through all that? It's not like he was an evil person who needed redemption. End of rant.
Well, I'm off to mentally revisit Jennifer's lingerie scenes!
Fudgehammer
