Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
FilmGuru's chosen to chime in from somewhere over the rainbow about Peter Cheslom's new movie with John Cusack. All I know is, this guy made FUNNY BONES and THE MIGHTY. He's got a hell of a lot of "get out of jail free" cards as far as I'm concerned. Sounds like he's come up with a winner to bounce back from TOWN & COUNTRY. When FilmGuru wrote to say he'd seen it and to ask if I wanted a review, I told him to be thorough. Turns out, I didn't realize what I was asking for. Nice job, FilmGuru. Thanks, again.
As long as there have been stories, there have been love stories. The same goes for film. Naturally, in the past hundred years of cinematic history, some classics have arisen. It becomes difficult, therefore, to judge a work without a century of comparisons. Every few years, though, a romantic film makes it to the screen that defines an era. Casablanca, Love Story, Say Anything..., When Harry Met Sally...
When I saw previews for Serendipity, something about it hit me on a gut level. I knew in my heart that this could be the love story for the decade. Maybe it was John Cusack returning to a role as an awkward romantic lead. Perhaps it was the fresh-faced talent of Kate Beckinsale. It could have been the haunting refrain of David Gray's "Babylon." Seeing the preview, I knew I had to see this movie. Fortunately, fate intervened and slipped tickets to a sneak preview into the hands of a friend.
I've been to advance screenings a week or so before a movie opened, but never anything like this. Serendipity is not slated to come out until August, and they were previewing it - of all places - in Kansas. They must have wanted to see how it would play "in the Heartland."
So, there we were on a Tuesday night, queued up outside the Olathe AMC 30, waiting to get in. With no trouble, we passed through the Orwellian security of MovieView after signing away our rights as free citizens of the United States of America. "I promise I will not tell anyone..." Yeah, right.
Now, a fair warning: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS! Proceed at your own risk!
In Serendipity, Cusack plays Jonathan, a young man who meets a young woman, Sara (Beckinsale), and loses her in the same night. Convinced that destiny rules the universe, she leaves their future in the hands of fate, vowing that if they are meant to be together it will happen. As you can imagine, things don't happen as expected and Sara disappears into the New York night.
Years later, it's the week before two weddings, his and hers. Jonathan is preparing to marry Halley (Bridget Moynahan, Coyote Ugly) in New York, while Sara -- now in San Francisco -- accepts a proposal by Lars (John Corbett), her "musician" boyfriend who appears to be the second-coming of Yanni. Naturally, the two nearlyweds begin to have second thoughts about their significant others. These fears escalate into a last ditch effort to strong-arm destiny into helping them find their soul mates.
Despite the flack that director Peter Chelsom has received for Town & Country, he redeems himself with Serendipity. While simple and ultimately predictable (but what good love story isn't?), the screenplay (by Marc Kline) is filled with interesting characters that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh again.
Because it is necessary to tell two stories, Chelsom uses pacing to keep the audience interested. While Cusack's quest is one of almost maddening rush, Beckinsale seems turned inward, searching her heart for an answer even as she flies off to New York. These changes keep the film at an even keel, preventing a frenzied roller coaster (more befitting a slapstick comedy) or a sluggish tear-fest.
Chelsom also does some interesting camera work regarding time. Using sped up images, he draws a world moving very fast, passing us by, so that before we know it years have gone and Jonathan and Sara have gone on with their lives. These images, of racing clouds, illuminated highways, as well as clocks, sundials and the like, are a nice touch to an already visually compelling story.
The locations for the story are storybook New York: all the charm and none of the harm. This is a town where people easily get cabs, ice skate in the park, and drop in on the Waldorf without a reservation. Like I said, it's a storybook. But in a romantic comedy, the audience isn't looking for realism, it's looking for escape, romance, and laughter. And Serendipity provides that in spades.
Helping Cusack in his search for the mysterious Sara is his best friend (and best man) played by Jeremy Piven. Together, they're like frat boys out on a kegger run, made all the more funny by Piven's fast-talking style and comedic timing. His counterpart, the one helping Sara in her quest, is Molly Shannon ("Saturday Night Live"). While Shannon does reasonably well, her timing is a little off here and her comedy stylings are a little too broad for this kind of film. In my humble opinion, she should stay on the small screen.
Another veteran television comedian Eugene Levy ("SCTV") pops up as a Bloomingdale's salesman confronted by Jonathan in his search for Sara. Levy plays the fastidious clerk to perfection, providing an obstacle -- albeit a humorous one -- for Cusack.
For his part, Cusack is pure gold. He plays the vulnerable romantic to perfection, and he's so nice you want him to succeed. In my humble opinion, this man can do no wrong right now. With some incredible performances already on his resume, it's nice that he's willing to risk a role in a fluffy mainstream movie. This won't win him an Academy Award, but it will keep his name in the papers.
As for Beckinsale, there's not much to say other than "Wow!" Granted, ever since Olivia Newton-John, I've had a thing for women with English accents. My personal fetish aside, I have to say that she is beautiful, charming, and perfect for this role. It's easy to believe she could make Jonathan fall for her in one night, not to mention bearing a torch for her for years. With her upcoming lead in the much-anticipated Pearl Harbor and the release of Serendipity scheduled for August, it is likely that she will be the fantasy of teenage boys all summer long.
I've read that David Gray was asked to write music for the soundtrack, but having not seen any credits, I cannot confirm this. Nor can I confirm that the music I heard in the film will be used in the final release.
This appeared to be a final cut, although who can tell with Hollywood? The only thing missing was the end credits. For my money, this film is a sure bet as is. Any tampering at this point would be a disservice to the audience. I loved this movie, but I'm a hopeless romantic. Guys, take a date and score big points. You'll actually enjoy it, but you don't have to tell her that.
