Une vie moins ordinaire

After the success of Trainspotting (1995), British filmmaking trio, Danny Boyle, John Hodge & Andrew MacDonald made A Life less Ordinary. The film could not be a more different departure from their previous effort. A Life less Ordinary is a wild and sweat natured romantic fantasy, concerning our hero Robert (Ewan McGregor) and spoiled rich girl Celine (Cameron Diaz) and the two angels (Hunter & Lindo) who are given the task of getting them to fall in love. Boyle uses many great cinematic techniques to make the film seem even more fantastic, and Hodges writing is some of the funniest in a long time. Sadly the film does go off the rails somewhat in the last twenty minutes, but it's still an extremely entertaining film, full of bizarre characters and images that makes it one of the most enjoyable two hours you could spend watching a film.

8/10

I just love watching movies where I do not expect excellence - and yet there it is. I was very happy with a Life Less Ordinary. It seemed to me to be unique, charming, fun and just a great way to spend some enjoyable time.

When a movie gets this enjoyable, I need to ask why. In my opinion in this movie its "casting" was exceptional. And of course one then has to credit directing that puts the cast at their best. Clearly Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz can both be characters. Well, this is a movie that puts them at their best, funniest and most charming. The director also brings out their unique features as an actor and actress that just makes the movie enjoyable.

The highlight of this kidnapping movie is also unexpected. It for me was the song and dance routine with Ewan and Cameron. They were great - fun and charming.

This is a movie that I will want to watch again and again.

Finally, a romantic comedy that is original, intelligent and truly funny. Not to say unpredictable! Usually I dislike this genre, but i can't help loving this movie.

The cast is great, and the chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor is sparkling. (And McGregor even manages to look good in spite of a terrible hair cut. What a performance.) Holly Hunter is great as usual. Please also notice the appearance of Maurey Chakin as the somewhat odd neighbor. If you happen to recognize him, it could be from "My Cousin Vinny", where he plays the grit-eating witness.

This movie has a smart and entertaining dialog and a number of unforgettable scenes and jokes. And it even brings out the romantic in an old cynic like me.

Danny Boyle comes up with a charming romantic black comedy. With a fine cast, a fantastic screenplay, a great soundtrack and lots of comedy and some romance, 'A Life Less Ordinary' becomes a not-so-ordinary film. The comedy tracks are very well etched and there are numerous laugh-out-loud moments. However, I also noticed that many people, sadly, did not get most of the jokes. The characters are very unique. After all, where else would you see two cupids committing lots of violence in order to bring two lovers together? Both Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo are hilarious as the psychotic cupids. The romance track between the freshly paired Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz provides another comedic track. They share a great chemistry making the unusual romance between the fiery Celine and the naive Robert very convincing. There's also a brilliant song sequence in which the two actors display their singing talents and dancing skills. Of course, they are supported by talents like Ian Holm and Stanley Tucci who provide excellent comic relief. Hirakubo's sharp editing and Brian Tufano's superb camera-work give the film a slick edge. But it is, John Hodge's tight screenplay and Danny Boyle's direction that superbly balances it all together. You want to see something entertaining but different, 'A Life Less Ordinary' could be the movie you're looking for. It had me laughing from start to end.

It seems that with A Life Less Ordinary you either love it or you hate it. Personally I am of the former persuasion, with it being a favourite of mine. I can see were the detractors come from, especially after viewing Boyle & Hodge's previous works. ALLO is in a completely different in style to their previous two films Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. But to say it is the weaker of the three films would be a fallacy. Stylistically the film is excellent - reminding me a lot of a Coen brothers film. The script is spot on and the performances of McGregor and Diaz are both excellent (which surprised me for Diaz) as their does seem to be a real chemistry between the two. A very enjoyable romantic comedy overall, and if an old cynic like me can say that, it must be good.