SNMR 4.21: "Kate & Leopold"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Kate & Leopold" (2001, PG-13, 118 minutes), starring Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Breckin Meyer and Bradley Whitford. The film was directed by James Mangold.

This is one of those films that I always wanted to see, first in the theater and then on DVD, solely because of Meg Ryan. Since I had done neither of those until recently, this pick made sense when I saw it on the library shelf a few weeks ago.

PLOT SUMMARY: Duke Leopold of Albany (Jackman) is swept up in a "time portal" from 1876 to 2001, where he meets his great, great, great grandson Stuart (Schreiber) who is an inventor and his ex-girlfriend Kate (Ryan). Kate, a Manhattan advertising executive, lives in the apartment below him. She runs into Leopold and eventually they discover they are romantically attracted to each other but deny that they are in love. Leopold can't stay in the future though. He must go back to his own time, before the portal closes. Just before Kate is to receive a big promotion at work, she realizes that she loves him. But what will she do? Is it too late? Is he gone forever in the past?

MY THOUGHTS: This is a film that wisely focuses on kismet, etiquette, and fading traditions of chivalry rather than on time-travel.

It's not enough.

This film does put a slightly different twist on the old time travel theme, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, except in this case it is, because that whole aspect of the film is nothing more than an ignored plot-device to bring two improbable, unlikely characters together. Overall the script is weak and lackadaisical performances from the leading actors doom this film to a forgettable death on store shelves. Buy this DVD only if you are a woman who likes the Hugh Jackman eye candy.

I don't know if I was more disappointed in Ryan's performance, the hideous result of a nose job gone horribly wrong and too much botox in the lips or both. Please don't misunderstand, I can appreciate actors looking older from age and wanting to look younger, but I can't when a vain attempt to look younger goes horribly wrong. Meg, when you ruin your beautiful, memorable face with unnecessary plastic surgery, all you're left with is exactly that - a memory of what you had. Hugh Jackman's character is convincing in that his accent is British but that's it. His character adapts way too easily from 1876 New York to 21^st century New York and to the use of modern technology that simply isn't realistic in such a short time span. The best actor in this disaster, um... film is Liev Schreiber who plays Ryan's ex, Stuart. Sadly he disappears for the middle of the film due to an "accident" and only reappears at the end because he's the scientist/inventor "time" guy and can fix everything.

Except for this film, of course.

*1/2 out of *****