Happy Accidents

I'm always intrigued by small titles, because sometimes they're better than the big moneymakers. This one failed to disappoint, especially because of the superb acting and camera shots. Vincent D'Onofrio(still "the bug" from "Men in Black" in my mind) did a wonderful job of stepping out of that role and into one that's believable, despite Sam's odd story. The first time I watched this, I was intrigued by the possibility that Sam may be telling the truth. Fortunately, K-Pax hadn't managed to ruin that scenario completely for me. The ending was a complete surprise and there were some nice twists.

I picked this up again to see if it was still as intriguing and to my surprise, it was. Even knowing Sam's true identity takes none of the emotion out of the film. I saw that this movie is not just the audience deciding whether or not to believe Sam, but Ruby deciding as well. It's a terrific inner conflict for her, as she struggles in the face of love and honesty after a string of horrible men. Haven't we all met someone that we loved and wanted to trust, but we didn't know we could? The time travel aspect makes this movie impossible but the characters are so real and deep, then the movie feels real and you find yourself thinking if only for a moment that it is perfectly possible. That's why I say that even if you know the ending, watch this movie for the quality that it is.

I tend to like character-driven movies and am quickly put off by movies that follow one of the familiar Hollywood stories. This movie successfully ventures into interesting and largely untested ground.

The story is about a man (Vincent D'Onofrio) who becomes romantically involved with a woman (Marisa Tomei) who has a history of co-dependence and failed relationships. He claims that he is from the future. The plot takes us on the journey of their relationship and her questioning of the truth to his claims vs. whether he is another in a string of loser guys that she seems to cling to.

The plot synopsis sounded a little odd, but it was my hope that these two talented actors could pull it off. Both Tomei and D'Onofrio turn in excellent performances. They present complex, interesting and flawed characters who engage our interest. The writing is very good and enjoyable.

My only complaint is the the story sags a little about 2/3 of the way through. A little tighter editing of about 10 minutes of essentially redundant scenes would have made the movie a more engaging.

I rate it a 8/10 and encourage those who like well-written, character-driven movies to check this one out.

Ruby Weaver, a person who has made bad choices in the boyfriend department, thinks she's finally found a decent life partner in Sam. That is, until he claims he's a time traveler from the future. She plays along at first, but Sam's stories become increasingly weird, and Ruby questions his mental health.

This was such a cute little movie, I decided to by the DVD. The two lead characters were actually entertaining, unlike the cardboard cutouts in most romantic comedies i've seen in the last few years. Brad Anderson is a talented guy, and i'd like to see what else he's directed now.

WOW!!

I had heard good things about this film, had liked Session 9 a lot, and will watch anything with d'Onofrio. Even so, this film completely blew me away.

It's science-fiction for adults, who prefer ideas and emotions to explosions and goofy makeup.

It's romantic dramedy at its best, with two memorable characters portrayed by highly skilled and REAL actors. In fact both Tomei and d'Onofrio are close to perfect in these roles.

It's a premise that continues to develop over the entire span of the film, never becoming predictable or plot-driven.

It offers striking supporting performances from Holland Taylor and Jose Zuniga, and a flat-out GREAT scene with Tovah Feldshuh that's driven by subtle and moving screenwriting.

It offers memorable and witty cameos from Mike McGlone and Anthony ("just call me Michael") Hall. And you gotta love the conceit of a guy who fantasizes about being A.M. Hall during sex!

From the opening shot to the end, it offers countless felicities of mise-en-scene, camera movement, framing, and editing, courtesy of Brad Anderson.

And there's a final shot that manages to be both very subtle and emotionally complex, while still seeming completely inevitable.

I even liked the loose ends that were never wrapped up!

SEE THIS FILM!

The only reason I selected this movie as a rental was because Vincent D'onofrio was on the cover. I am a committed VDO fan and was not disappointed with this selection. This romantic comedy plays out beautifully on the screen and the element of time travel is handled with a refreshing spin of originality.

Both Tomei and D'onofrio provide captivating performances the range of emotions they both convey make their chemistry on screen very pleasant to watch and their characters very believable.

I also found the score to be an interesting touch that adds a light air of wonderment and mystery in just the right spots. My favorite spots were the flute solo in the beginning after Sam (D'onofrio) meets Ruby (Tomei) outside her apartment, it adds a feeling of innocence to a situation that ordinarily would not be described as such. The second is at the end when they meet at the intersection of Chrystie and Delancy after the much anticipated "moment" passes.

Please rent this movie and discover your own reasons for falling in love with it. You will soon find yourselves committed to adding it as a permanent addition to you DVD library!!