the audience applauded

A Major Disappointment

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The premise of "A Life Less Ordinary" is an old one. Two beings (or non-beings) from beyond (in original and earlier versions they would be angels) are sent to earth to make sure that two people meet, fall in love and marry. The chief who gives them this last chance (or they will be doomed to live on earth), laments the high rate of divorce from the past work of these two "spirits" in human form. The two objects of their "mission" are a disgruntled former employee of a mega-firm, and the spoiled rotten rich daughter of the belligerent, brash billionaire boss of the mega-firm. Any viewer would make a connection that it's no wonder their marriage matches fail. What transpires in this film is a series of mishaps, accidents, crimes, chases, and goofy goings-on. But they are not funny – even tragic in some instances. The script is weak and the whole plot just doesn't come off as comedy. Nor is the romance even imaginable, let alone believable. This appears like two films intertwined. The one is the fantasy, with the two spirits on a mission of "love." The other is crime, or more properly a bag of crimes. And somehow, comedy is supposed to link these. But it doesn't work. The cast mostly are OK in the characters they have to play, but overboard at times. There isn't a single likable character in the film. Ian Holm is the greedy, controlling, self-centered billionaire dad, Naville. Cameron Diaz is his spoiled rich, greedy, self- centered daughter, Celine. Like father like daughter. But in this case it's hard to like either character. This is a picture of a super wealthy dysfunctional family.Ewan McGregor is the disgruntled former employee who was replaced in his cleaning job by a robot. He is naïve, hapless and not very convincing in his role as Robert Lewis. Holly Hunter plays the extraterrestrial O'Reilly and Delroy Lindo is her cohort, Jackson. O'Reilly spends much of her time in bandages, splints and crutches from mishaps. Stanley Tucci is Elliot Zweikel, another supposed character for comedy. The mayhem amongst this motley assembly of characters is no more funny than someone shooting your best friend. That's what this film is – a collection of shootings and assorted crimes for laughs. It sends a message that all this is OK if the two subjects come together in the end. Since when does the end justify the means? Besides, who could believe that this match would last? It's easy to see why this film flopped at the box office and lost a few million dollars.

A Life Less Ordinary was the next film in the highly-bankable combination of (director) Danny Boyle and (actor) Ewan McGregor. After the success of Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, it was thought that they could do no wrong. Sadly, A Life Less Ordinary was not half so well received.Critics accused it of simply missing the point and lacking direction. And, yes, I can see their point. However, that's not to say that it's all bad. It's about two angels, charged with the task of getting the most unlikely couple (spoilt rich girl Cameron Diaz and penniless writer and toilet cleaner, Ewan McGregor) to fall in love. What follows is a road movie involving kidnapping, quirky angels and robbery.Perhaps the problem is that it was marketed as a romantic comedy. Yes, it has both elements (mainly romance), but not much comedy. What replaces the traditional laughs is more a surreal atmosphere more akin to a Monty Python film in places.Personally, I liked it. Or rather most of it. There's not many people who seems to like all of it. I will admit that there were certain sub-plots that could have been left out.It's not that funny, but its uniqueness does give it some kudos. Plus Diaz and McGregor make a cute couple, so, if you're a fan of either of them, this should tick enough boxes for you.

I saw this film in theatres when it had just come out, much abuzz about both Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz. While not wholly disappointed by the film, I was left stunned. Two days prior to seeing this I had just watched on television Two of a Kind with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. I had read reviews saying this was an original story(ALLO) and a breath of fresh air. This is not so, I urge you to read the summary for Two of a Kind(don't see the film unless you like 80's garbage films) and see if the 2 contrast(they don't). While I'm all for a well scripted and acted romantic comedy, don't profess originality unless you know it to be so. I am still a huge Danny Boyle(Sunsine one of my personal favourites) and Ewan McGregor(Renton all time anti-hero) fan, this film just helps to remind me that no one is ever perfect.

Director Danny Boyle had established himself as a very credible British director with his first two films Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, but his third film went a bit the other direction. Basically in Heaven, Gabriel (Commando's Dan Hedaya) tells angels O'Reilly (Holly Hunter) and Jackson (Delroy Lindo) to go to Earth to bring two people together, and if they fail cannot return. These two people are Robert Lewis (Ewan McGregor) who lost his job as a janitor to a robot and is mad at his boss Naville (Sir Ian Holm), and the boss's daughter Celine (Cameron Diaz) who Robert kidnaps. Celine realises that Robert isn't experienced in kidnap at all, and she is actually interested in helping him for the money he can demand, so she makes him ask for a high price ransom. As time goes by and they stick together throughout everything the kidnap scenario is fading away as Robert and Celine may be developing feelings for each other, just as Gabriel had planned. O'Reilly and Jackson know that the best way to bring them even closer is to put them in jeopardy, and they get help from Celine's father in order to track them down and do this themselves, but they are foolish in how they do it. There is the point when they have an argument and split apart, and then the angels take Celine in order for Robert to be mad enough to go after her. In the end the dream that Robert had been having for some time about saving the life of Celine indeed becomes reality, and O'Reilly and Jackson return to Heaven as their mission was successful, the happy couple even get married. There is also a short bit of Claymation where we see them retrieve the suitcase of ransom money from earlier on and get a castle in Scotland, and there are bits and pieces of the other characters. Also starring Ian McNeice as Mayhew, Frank Kanig as Ted, Mel Winkler as Francis 'Frank' Naville and Stanley Tucci as Elliot Zweikel. McGregor was reasonable, Diaz was sexy and sassy, Holm got his moments, and Hunter and Lindo were indeed completely miscast, Boyle doesn't quite have a grasp on what to do in each scene, the road movie thing with angels chasing them is alright, overall, it is a film too silly to take seriously, a pretty daft romantic comedy. Adequate!