If you strip away all the romantic trappings of destiny conspiring to bring two soul mates together, this remains a tawdry tale of adultery between an English architect and an American businesswoman. One is married for ten years and the other on the brink of her wedding. Jaglom does his best to garner sympathy for the two lovers. It is not their fault that they lie and cheat but fate that keeps throwing them together. Destiny's hand is revealed in a reoccurring theme song, numerous chance encounters, and a mysterious broach. For good measure, he even throws in a supernatural element. The lovers never seem to express any genuine guilt or skepticism. They are just in a constant state of amazement and are as dumbfounded as the audience at the ridiculousness of the movie's script. Just as one of the lovers begins to exhibit some misgivings, Vanessa Redgrave as the wise sage of "seize the day" theory gives a resounding speech about "jumping into the river of life."
Another false note was the dogma-style hand-held camera technique which gives a gritty realism that is jarring to the fairy tale like story the director so desperately wants to sell. By the end, instead of cheering on the lovers my sympathies were with their discarded partners.
Another false note was the dogma-style hand-held camera technique which gives a gritty realism that is jarring to the fairy tale like story the director so desperately wants to sell. By the end, instead of cheering on the lovers my sympathies were with their discarded partners.