Rating: 
Summary: Suspend your inhibitions and cynicism and enjoy....
Review: In my humble opinion, thats what its all about. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Serendipity. The film has become an instant favorite of mine since I first saw it. People forget sometimes that you cant cheat destiny, or karma, and this movie does a great job of illustrating that fact. It seems predictable at times simply because thats how fate works...If it is meant to be it will be. There are several little quarky moments in this movie that simply make you feel lucky that alls not terrorism, bombs and carnage. Serendipity may not be the greatest film of all time, nor may go down as the 4 main actor's best works, but its truly a shining example that simple light-hearted fun movies have a place, especially in these times today we live in. Who says you need layers upon layers of plots and twists and sub-plots to make great on screen magic, all you need are stars in the sky, the cute inspective look from that one special person, and the kinetic energy of a New York romance. Jeremy Piven, who's character literally cements the entire chemistry, delivers several great memorable quotes, as well as the rarely mentioned mock obituary near the end that grabs you, and lightly sets up that rendezvous with fate. Kate Beckinsale delivers such coy cuteness, and charming intelligence in her role in this film, and who can deny John Cusack his crafted talent for being the "likeable guy" the kind of guy we all know, who's just plain normal, often confused and sincere in his awkward way? It's not the most perfect depiction of how Serendipity can rise and touch two people in love, but its just one of the ways it can, and may have. With love, and destiny, anything's possible. With "Serendipity" everything's possible. I've witnessed it myself, which is another reason I am so fond of this film. All I can ask is for you to suspend all the doubts and cynicism, get the one you love, and watch this film together and pick out the little quarky things in it you two can relate to..I do it all the time.
Rating: 
Summary: How to spell lame with 11 letters...
Review: During this movie, I felt like Alex in the Clockwork Orange during his treatment. This movie made me want to tear my hair out, move to Nepal, and become a Krishna. If I had a choice between pulling my own teeth out one by one and watching this movie, I wouldn't think twice before I reached for the pliers. John Cusack is to humans what Eboli is to kidneys. If you spend money on this movie, you are stupid.
Rating:
Summary: A romantic comedy you can enjoy if you don't think about it
Review: Once upon a time Jon (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) have a chance encounter in a department store. There is some instant chemistry between the two, but each is involved in a relationship and so they are decidedly indecisive. However, she keeps talking about Fate as if Lachesis herself was dropping constant hints into her ear. They part, but are brought together again by Fate (or Serendipity if you will; what is important is that you capitalize the word), and he takes this as a good sign but she insists that a higher standard must be met. He will write his name and number of a $5 that she spends without looking at; She writes her name and number in a book that she will sell to a used bookstore. However, not even that is enough to finish tormenting this poor guy because to prove that "now" is not the time they should be together they walk into separate elevators in a hotel to see if they push the same button. Apparently, Fate not only has a sense of humor, it is a sick sense of humor. Are Jon and Sara supposed to be together? With this set up you cannot think otherwise, although getting her to tell him her name almost proves impossible (As soon as she said her name my immediate question was "How do you spell it?" and that turns out not to be an idle question because both of these soul mates have dropped the "h" from their names). Now, we know that Jon and Sara are going to end up together because in the final analysis this is a romantic comedy and not an exercise in existential horror. But we also know that until he finds the book and she comes across the $5 bill that the cosmic wheel of chance is not even close to having finished spinning. "Serendipity" is a movie that pours on the close calls and near misses with gay abandon. The problem is that the stars do not start aligning for this fated couple until both are about to get married. In other words, while toying with Jon and Sara before allowing them to live happily ever after each gets to ruin the live of another human being. Maybe the cosmic balance must be maintained and the ultimate joy of our happy couple has to be equaled by the pain inflicted on their fiancées. I think if there were not human wreckage behind the happy ending I would have enjoyed "Serendipity" more. The film I kept thinking back on was "My Best Friend's Wedding," where you come to the point of deciding that Julie Roberts's character does not deserve to stop the wedding and get the buy; she does not, but the ending is still quite satisfying. There was another recent romantic comedy where the wedding was interrupted at the last moment but everybody still ended up happy. However, "Serendipity" has a cruel streak: notice the circumstances under which Jon discovers the book. What could have been crueler? Clearly, this is not a film to think about too much because it will collapse under the weight of critical scrutiny. Cusack is an engaging romantic lead and has been every since he lifted up that boom box in "Say Anything." Beckinsale is cute but her character apparently knows nothing about tempting the gods in general and the Fates in particular. The only explanation is that she does not really believe in the Fates when she prattles on about them at the beginning of the film and it is not until circumstances literally force her to connect the dots that she becomes a true believer. Special mention goes to Jeremy Piven as Dean Kansky, Jon's best friend and one of the more memorable of that type to come down the road since, well, Rupert Everett in "My Best Friend's Wedding."
Rating: 
Summary: Formulated but wonderful
Review: Going into Serendipity you know the whole plot and the end, so, if you want suspense you might want to pass. John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale have wonderful chemistry and this story of destiny and fate is charming and overall just a nice movie. A true Hollywood chick flick.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and poignant romantic comedy
Review: When I first saw this movie on it's release I was afraid it was going to fall into the usual cliched romance genre, but was more than pleasantly suprised.
It's a simple story, very well padded out, that delivers (I feel) more than it ever set out to do. John Cusack meets Kate Beckinsale briefly with more than a touch of Kismet, and as they agree to part company he writes his number on a $5 bill, and she writes hers inside a semi-notable book. The premis being that if they should somehow discover each others contact details at sometime in the future, then "fate" has stepped in and given them a clear message that they should be together. Time passes and as they each go their own way, and begin new lives with their respective partners, they still feel inexplicably drawn to keep searching for each other, on the grounds that they could "just be" soul mates. As implausible as the story seems, it unfolds very well with some very poignant moments, as well as comic (if a little unrealistic) scenes thrown in for good measure. You won't need an IQ of 145 to figure out how it's all going to end, but it gently jogs the viewer along, and never really gives up until the last. An underlying, and very well acted subplot (almost) to all of this is, that there are winners and losers - when two people are meant it seems for each other in such a way (if you believe in fate or karma, or whatever)then they are inevitably people on the other side of the fence who lose out. The movie is tempered with brevity and shows this well without ever being conceited or preachy, and the end result is a joy to watch. This is also a fairly durable movie for rewatching, and the DVD has some nice (if not remarkable) extras to add to the value. There's no real sex, violence, bad language or other and it is a nice reminder of an older style of romantic comedy, brought up to date. Good fun allround - I thoroughly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Award
Review: This movie was so great. I give it two thumbs up. It's one of those movies you can just watch over and over again. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A delightful romance
Review: For those of you longing to find a romantic comedy with intelligence, look no further than "Serendipity." Based upon the concepts of fate and destiny, the movie takes the viewer into New York City, following a story that strongly resembles what would be called a modern fairy tale. After one night together many years ago, Jon (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) begin seeing signs that perhaps their romances aren't all they are meant to be. Following the little clues destiny leaves for them, the two main characters draw closer and closer to their
"happily ever after." While some have criticized the movie for being trite and predictable, I find that its charm is in its simplicity. This is not a monumental film, filled with spiritual truths or deep answers. But nor is it a mindless, formulaic story. The writers and directors have managed to walk a very fine line, keeping the story light and airy, and yet completely believable. It is this enthusiastic and optimistic view of life that the movie offers. In addition, the film is greatly enhanced through its stars. Cusack is perfect as the slightly neurotic hopeless romantic, and his real-life friend Jeremy Piven does a wonderful job as his best friend. Beckinsale and Molly Shannon are a delight to watch together, and Eugene Levy brightens the screen in his few scenes. No other team of actors could have pulled this movie off with as much success as this one. The movie is a treat, and I would highly recommend it. The DVD release features some fascinating extras. In addition to a commentary and production diary by Peter Chelsom (the director), the disc offers both deleted scenes and alternate versions of scenes that were in the final film. With the commentary on these altered scenes, one can truly understand how a film is changed and manipulated while the filmmakers are trying to perfect it. All in all, an excellent disc for an excellent film!
Rating:
Summary: Serendipity...Do You Believe in Fate?
Review: I really enjoyed the film "Serendipity"! This film revolves around two people who meet by chance and instantly feel a connection. Wanting to believe that what they feel is fate, they decide to embark on an exercise to decide if they're really meant for each other involving a book, a name, and a phone number. John Cusack plays the perfect romanctic male lead in this film and Kate Beckinsale does a good job as the female lead. You immediately feel the emotions of both characters as they try to come back to one another. I would definitely recommend this film to all those who love a good romantic comedy! This film really makes you believe that you can find true love anywhere, and that everyone has their own perfect person out there for them, no matter what other people or circumstances may come in their way.
Rating: 
Summary: By the numbers chick flick
Review: Yeah, I used that phrase, and more women use that than men, I'm sure. Serendipity, for all its considerable charm (many props to the casting director), belongs in the same boat as any Meg Ryan film, any Sandra Bullock film, or anything written by Nora Ephron, etc. In other words, when you wanna stun 'em with your sensitivity, guys, you rent this. It's got Eugene Levy (never better), Jeremy Piven, and Molly Shannon as its secondary characters, but with all due respect to John Cusack and Kate Beckinsdale (who are adequate), the main characters aren't the main attraction. Something of a problem when we're asked to care specifically about the main couple of the piece! It's routine romance fare; nothing strikingly original, and an ending that's way too quick for the amount of time you have to put into the whole film, but you won't go wrong by it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Excruciating
Review: While this movie is clearly a chick-flick, it's not completely offensive as compared to other such dross. (I don't know what the deal is with John Cusack, but his movies seem to be big hits with the ladies.) This DVD would make a very good present for your girlfriend or wife, and you won't completely hate it when you are forced to watch it.
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