Solitaire for 2

A copybook example of why the British film industry is in a dreadful mess. Trite script mouthed by clever-clever cast, dull direction and unsympathetic characterisation, the list is endless. In here somewhere is a half decent movie idea - a character that can hear people thinking (What Women Want, anyone?)..but synor blows it. Avoid.

This romantic comedy has a number of unusual ideas and very quirky characters, giving the whole thing a distinct surreal touch. There were enough good ideas in this film to put a really nice piece together, but sadly the film makers did not manage that.

First problem is the casting - the lead actors do not quite fit to their envisaged screen personas. Ms Pays is a good-looking woman, but not the gorgeous uber-babe suggested by several scenes, and Mark Frankel's charm lacked sophistication: more Italian waiter than Cary Grant. Generally both leads appeared rather unsympathetic which is a major crime in this genre. The writers also did not think the characters through carefully enough, e.g. one should think that an intelligent and rational thinking woman such as Katie would have come to terms with her telepathic powers in a less violent way.

In England, Daniel and Lucy are living together, but one day Lucy decides (while we listen to depressing classical music) that it's time to go.

Daniel teaches professionals about body language. We first see him at work in a place called The Self Centre. And paleontologist Katie happens to be there that day, speaking to a group of scientists. Daniel is attracted to her, but Katie keeps hitting him every time he flirts with her.

The truth is that Katie wants a man, but she knows what they are all thinking. And she's tired of men who are only interested in her appearance. She wants men to like her for her intelligence.

Daniel keeps getting pulled over for speeding by the same female cop. Katie's co-worker Sandip Tamar, at what appears to be a large university, seems to appreciate her for her mind.

Will Daniel ever find a woman? Will Katie ever find a man? Will they end up with each other?

Harry is Daniel's best friend, and he is married to Caroline; they have a daughter Clare. Parris is one of Daniel's more nervous students.

I thought this was intelligently written, and Amanda Pays gave one of the better performances out of a fine cast. Katie didn't always react in the expected ways, and this was more than just a formula movie. This might not appeal to those who enjoy mindless sitcoms and popular films that the critics hate. But it might just work for those who go to independent theaters to see films no one ever heard of.

There was a lot of good classical music, though I didn't necessarily like all the music there was. Some of the music was contemporary, high-energy pop.

A couple of scenes stand out, even if they weren't laugh-out-loud funny. In one, we can hear the thoughts of all the lecherous men in one bookshop. I don't know Katie's reaction because that's one of the times the sound went out. In another, there are balloons and the band Right Said Fred. I'd rather not say what that was all about, because it could be considered a spoiler.

For me, this was a challenge to watch, because it could be boring at times, but there was enough here to make it satisfying.

This film was quite fun. It is similar in some respects to a more recent swathe of this genre specialising in over the top humour, but in this case without completely loosing a sense of normality. For example in a later film by Gary Sinyor called "The Bachelor", an army of brides chase the leading man. In this film there are some 'situations' like this, the hostage taking for example. The difference here though is that the scenes do not depart entirely from reality because the incredible side of the situation remains connected more or less entirely with the roles of each part. In other words it is the characters who see the extraordinary and incredible as opposed to in other films where the viewer sees the same as 'matter of fact' e.g. 1000 women in wedding dresses. Personally I prefer this in some ways though typically the other, near slapstick lunacy has its place. Notably in this particular case it is not simply because the plot is therefore more down to earth and as a result engaging but also that it makes sense in terms of the subject matter; being able to read minds has little bearing on the solitude of love and then the crazy situations we can find ourselves in when attempting to pursue the object of one's affection.

Another review on IMDb points out that the leading lady appears to have a chip on her shoulder. There is a reason for this which should be fairly straight forward to pick up,.. as the cover and tag line perhaps indicate she has esp and is surrounded by men with rather lurid thoughts. This facet of the story is used to create fantastically embarrassing situations which overall appear to be applied in order that the viewer can draw a better picture of how the character thinks.

While this film is not really anything truly special I spent quite some time looking for a way to obtain the soundtrack to this film. I really like the saxophone solo and some of the other instrumental parts. Unfortunately I could not find it and contacting David A. Hughes directly is not as easy as popping to a music store.

In London, the wolf Daniel Becker (Mark Frankel) prepares executives to have attitude based on their body language. His best friend is Harry (Jason Isaacs), who is married with a child with Caroline (Maryam d'Abo). The paleontologist Katie Burrough (Amanda Pays) researches with her Indian coworker Sandip Tamar (Roshan Seth) at the museum of London. Katie is a beautiful woman capable of reading minds and she creates problems with men everywhere since they are always thinking how desirable she is. When they meet each other, they have a date and Daniel falls in love with her. After many problems, she agrees to be blindfolded since she can not mind with her eyes covered. Daniel proposes Katie to get married but she is a dedicated scientist and together with Sandip, they have made a discovery and she needs to travel to India. What will she do?

"Solitaire for 2" is an original and charming romantic comedy where she gorgeous Amanda Pays performs the role of a woman capable to hear what other people is thinking. Mark Frankel shows great chemistry with Amanda Pays that is in the top of her beauty and despite the silly story, the film is a good entertainment. The stylish music score is magnificent since Daniel is fan of classical music. In 2000, "What Women Want" uses the storyline of capability to read minds in a successful film with Mel Gibson in the lead role. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Pensamentos Perigosos" ("Dangerous Thoughts")