Serendipity

Rating:
Summary: You could read it either way...
Review: On the surface, "Serendipity" could be seen as another formulaic fate movie. Not quite. Whilst it tends to stick to the usual, fairly predictable style of that genre, there are differences for those who want to look further. It is not an intellectual movie: neither is it air-headed and whilst it is a little contrived, it remains, nonetheless, a pleasing and enjoyable little romantic comedy.

Previous examples of this genre have included some very poorly constructed films such as "Only You" and "Sleepless in Seattle". The underlying philosophy of those films was that everything is planned and there's nothing you can do about anything. Fate will look after you; you just have to believe in it. Yeah, right...This is where "Serendipity" departs from the norm.

Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) meet in Bloomingdale's Department Store a few days before Christmas and share an eight hour romantic interlude they will never forget. Both characters have partners so Sara decides to leave eveything to chance and sends her name and phone number out into the world inside a book which she sells the following day. Jonathan writes his name on a $... note which Sara immediately spends, thus sending his details into the universe. The idea being that if these items find their way into the other person's hand, they can pick up where the evening left off.

Seven years later, when both are engaged to be married to different partners, the worm starts to turn. Sara, after being confronted with a reminder of the night and accompanied by her friend Eve (Molly Shannon), makes her way to New York to find Jonathan while Jonathan, having been subjected to similar cues and accompanied by his friend Dean (Jeremy Piven), goes in search of Sara. The plot line is fairly predictable and one can fairly easily guess the rest.

What separates this one from the rest is the alternative plot. Both Eve and Dean provide a genuine reality check. Eve's line "Life's a mess, Sara. It's chaos personified", is one of the best ripostes I've heard in a romantic comedy and fits beautifully. Dean gives the extra impetus to Jonathan and resolves some of his own problems at the same time.

Despite the one-sided, romantic publicity angle on which the film was promoted, "Serendipity" offers a balance between the romantic and the realistic. Not a bad way of looking at life. In fact it is a far better movie for it. Ultimately. in this film, the romantic angle has to win but at least it doesn't attempt to jam air-headed, half-baked, irresponsible pseudo-philosophy down the viewer's throat (I have resolved never to see another Meg Ryan movie as long as I live).

The acting performances are for the most part, up to scratch. John Cusack is always pretty solid and Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon, Bridget Moynahan and John Corbett do their bit; especially Shannon and Piven. Strangely, Kate Beckinsale is rather patchy and it is not one of her better performances. In some scenes she's great whilst in others she's pretty ordinary. She has done better. Eugene Levy is just perfect as the grouchy shop assistant and serves up more laughs than anyone else.

All in all, it doesn't quite measure up to my favourite romantic comedy: "Before Sunrise" but it has many merits. To be honest, I couldn't decide whether to give it three stars or four. In the end I decided it was a genuine three stars but not quite genuine at four. As one who has been lucky enough to experience a similar situation, with all its bizarre twists, I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A good weekend movie!
Review: Serendipity may not be the greatest movie ever made in the film industry, but this is definitely a good movie to watch during weekend or whenever u feel like to have an easy relaxing time.

like many reviewers said, yes, the moive is sooo predictable that u know what's going to happen next and what the ending will be; the plot is also silly enough that you know what Cusack and Beckinsale did in the movie is called beyond-reality. however, i still found the movie is entertaining, funny and cute enough that i would love to watch it again, again and again.

if you are not into chickflicks, i can assure you this movie isnt tailor-made for you; if you believe you have broad movie tastes or are interested in chickflicks, Serendipity would be a perfect choice for your next movie selection.

My General opinion: this ISNT something you want include in your DVD/MOVIE collection (unless u are a fan of Cusack and Beckinsale or u absoultely LOVE the movie,) but this is a movie which u want to rent and give it a try. and by the way, both Cusack and Beckinsale did a good job in the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Serendipity
Review: This is the greatest movie ever. Every time i see it i cry. you get so involved you think you are the main character. i love this movie

Rating:
Summary: John Cusack delivers again!
Review: You HAVE to be fan of John Cusack to appreciate this movie. He gives yet another enjoyable performance being teamed up again with Jeremy Piven. Their comedic timing and interaction are classic, and the best parts of this movie.

If you did not enjoy movies like Gross Pointe Blank, Say Anything, or High Fidelity, you probably won't care much for this one. But if you LOVE watching John Cusack at his best, here it is!

Rating:
Summary: It's OK to be selfish -- the universe says so!
Review: I rented this for 99 cents and I am debating getting a refund.

This was supposed to be sooooo romantic but I was instead simply depressed at how selfish the two main characters are. They cheat, plain and simple, in their hearts and minds. They do so for the entire length of the movie.

John and Sara meet cute at a glove counter in NYC in 1994. Sara won't tell John her name and phone number although they share a wonderful evening with hot chocolate and ice-skating. This memory is enough for them to throw away all of their relationships for the next 7 years. Sara has decided that fate will put them together if John can find her name and phone number in a copy of "Love in the Time of Cholera" (to which I say, poor Gabriel Garcia Marquez) that she sells to a used bookstore the next day. John must write his name and phone number on a $5, which she spends at a newsstand -- if the $5 makes its way back into her hands, it was meant to be. They just have to have faith in destiny!

(I wish she had some faith in conditioner because her hair looks really bad.)

They spend the next 7 years looking at $5 bills and used books, making themselves, their friends and respective fiancees miserable in the process. yuck.

Rating:
Summary: Finally upset my ALL-TIME Fave!
Review: I didn't think it could be done...but Serendipity managed to bump Pretty Woman off the coveted title "ALL TIME FAVE" in my book! This is the kind of movie that you just hope & pray could come true because it really makes you want to believe in "fate" or karma or something else "working" out there. I could watch it every day..it touches your soul! I'm worse than a hopeless romantic..I'm a hopeful one! If you are,too...SPRINT to the store & buy this for yourself! You'll adore it just as much as I did..GUARANTEED!

Rating:
Summary: A sweet love story
Review: My husband and I saw this movie on cable and I loved it so much he gave it to me for our anniversary. It is a story about two people that come together in a chance meeting and can not get the other out of their mind. It is about fate and love and where one should be and with whom.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!
Review: I know this film never will earn an Academy Award, but it is one from that kind of movies that is unforgettable and ideal for a great time. The theme is hilarious, ficticious but very well connected and developed, and cusack's performance is very good. And no words to describe Kate Beckinsale... Beautiful and a very good performance.

Rating:
Summary: too predictable
Review: I'm a fan of Kate Beckinsale, but I'm really disappointed when I watched her in this movie. She's not that bad, but the movie itself is bad. The plot is boring and too predictable. Of course this is only a movie, but I've watched other movies and though something called fate or luck seem to take place, they don't seem half as unnatural as the one in this movie. It seem that the storyline made as if the two main characters were somehow brought together by the director, or the writer, rather than by fate itself. I don't know if this movie was supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't find it funny at all. Also, the fact that they both had lovers already at the time made it kinda lame. I mean, would you like your boyfriend/girlfriend to go out shopping one day and fell for a beautiful stranger? Well, just my two cents..

Rating:
Summary: I wish I could give this film 0 stars
Review: This has to be one of the worst 'romantic comedies' of all-time. It makes the fatal mistake of having 2 UNLIKEABLE ANNOYING leads. They are both so irritating and stupid, that, when you see the film, you hope they end up single and lonely, because they deserve it for being so stupid. The John Cusack character leaves his beautiful and charming fiancee at the alter for a crazy girl who won't even give him her phone number. Who would want to date (let alone marry) anyone like this. If you want to see a good film, ABOUT A BOY was wonderful, as are most of the films on AFI's 100 years, 100 passions. But, SERENDIPIDY doesn't even deserve 1 star. I am a bit confused as to how films like this end up with averages of '4 stars' on. Are the film studios writing all of these reviews?