Nov 12 2001
Serendipity
We went to see Serendipity this weekend. I like romantic comedies (especially ones set at Christmas time, like “While You Were Sleeping” and “You’ve Got Mail”), the trailer looked great, and all the critics love it, but after seeing it, I don’t know why. There was no spark between John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, as far as I could see. When did he start looking so damn haggard? He looks like he has a week long hangover or just flew in from Australia and hasn’t slept in days. Also, was he always so furry? Those forearms! Gaaah! Maybe the Kate Beckinsale character feared that this hirsuteness would be extended to his back, and that’s the real reason she didn’t give him her phone number.
Even stranger than the complete lack of chemistry between Cusack and Beckinsale is the lack of connection between Cusack and Jeremy Piven, life-long friends who are playing…life-long friends. Surely we should get some feeling of that off-screen friendship on-screen, but their scenes together are as sterile as those betwen Cusack and Beckinsale.
The only comedy in this flat little endeavor was provided by Eugene Levy as a neurotic Bloomingdale’s employee. This was unexpected and delightful, and a much-needed relief. It was neither romantic nor comedic as I understand the definition of those words. And by the way…San Francisco isn’t full of nothing but stupid New Agey types. Trust me.
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