"So Let it Be Written... So Let it Be Done"

The life and times of a real, down to earth, nice guy. A relocated New Englander formerly living somewhere north of Boston, but now soaking up the bright sun of southwestern Florida (aka The Gulf Coast) for over nine years. Welcome to my blog world. Please leave it as clean as it was before you came. Thanks for visiting, BTW please leave a relevant comment so I know you were here. No blog spam, please. (c) MMV-MMXIX Court Jester Productions & Bamford Communications

Saturday, April 05, 2008

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 21st 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 *****

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6 Comments:

At 05 April, 2008 19:47, Blogger EstherNow said...

Ahhh, yes. Meg Ryan. She does look different, doesn't she? I was wondering.

I never saw this movie, but I like the wit in your review tonight.

Did you give away the ending with your comment on Liev Shrieber, or was the movie just that predictable? I like Shrieber too. What else was he in that I don't remember right now?

BTW: I posted a new blog this afternoon, and it has the Black Bean Brownie recipe. Check it out!

 
At 05 April, 2008 20:26, Blogger Tim said...

very predictable.

 
At 07 April, 2008 13:03, Blogger ~AprilD said...

I like this movie. But I agree that something with Meg Ryan is just off. She doesn't pull off being cynical and pessimistic very well and the big character change at the end just isn't that convincing. And I think Hugh Jackman's character was pretty good. Your comment about accepting technology too soon, I think is offset by the fact that the guy was an abstract thinker to begin with, having supposedly been the first person to think up an elevator. But it's a fun chick flick.

 
At 07 April, 2008 17:27, Blogger scribe said...

I absolutely despise Meg Ryan.

 
At 07 April, 2008 18:44, Blogger Tim said...

Why do you despise Meg Ryan?

 
At 08 April, 2008 16:52, Blogger scribe said...

She is untalented, annoying, and looks like a soccer mom.

 

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