Serendipity by Author’s Name

Serendipity has rated as my favorite romantic comedy from the first time I saw it. If you watch the commentary on the film, the director acknowledges that it’s a fairy tale and there are a few things that are definitely movie fantasy, which to me added to the charm, because it’s a fairy tale filmed with real people. As for the film itself, John Cusak is always enjoyable in whatever he does. He has an unorthodox acting style and a contained yet frenetic energy that lights up the screen. I have no words for Kate Beckinsale, who has beauty far beyond my words to describe. Kate’s acting in Serendipity is rock-solid, charming and emotional. You can’t help but fall in love with her right away.

The supporting cast is just as incredible and what really rounds out this film. Jeremy Piven has the same frenetic energy as Cusak, but less control of it, which works perfectly. He literally crackles with it and the lifelong friendship that Piven and Cusak already have makes the onscreen relationship completely solid because it isn’t really acting for them. I’ve never been a huge Molly Shannon fan, but she is cast perfectly as the best friend and foil for Beckinsale’s cheery demeanor.

Bridget Moynahan plays her role perfectly. She is a sweet beauty who any man would love and you find yourself loving her. You can’t hate her- there is no reason to and any tension you feel with her is derived from how well Cusak plays his role. John Corbett shines again as an actor this time with a boyish enthusiasm for his art and his fiance. Like Moynahan he is completely likable. You feel his characters love for Beckinsale’s character, but you can also sense that it isn’t quite enough.

Eugene Levy is a joy. He really is fantastic in anything he does. He doesn’t have a whole lot of screen time on Serendipity, but that is offset by the fact that you get a full dose of him in the short time he appears. His chemistry with everyone he appears with is almost magical.

This movie was directed with the sense that it’s a fairy tale by a director wise enough to know when to let Cusak off his leash. Despite Cusak’s tendency to speak quickly, he is always completely understandable and his ability to improv physical comedy and short additional comments to written dialogue is what makes many of his movies so enjoyable.

The soundtrack is awesome- I have it and I listen to many of the songs often. My favorite is the haunting acoustic guitar solo by the very talented artist David Gray. It plays perfectly into the quiet reflective moments of the filim.

To wrap it up, this movie was perfectly cast and perfectly directed. Everyone’s screen time was exactly what it should have been and everyone works together seamlessly. It remains my favorite romantic comedy of all time.

Really, this movie has been out since 2001 and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to watch it. Don’t put it off any longer.

Great movie

Enjoyed the story line.

Purchased as recommended by a friend and after watching the film we then visited Serendipity cafe in New York so good starting point for us and a pleasurable Sunday afternoon viewing.

Shipped fast and included a discount coupon! About the movie, it’s always nice to sometimes escape real life and watch as a Hollywood fairytale unfolds, like this movie. It’s about a man and a lady who meet one night while Christmas shopping, and the lady, who is charming and cute, wants to test fate to see if they truly are supposed to be together. The man, of course, is in disdain and only wants her name and phone number, as he really likes her. As fate would have it, they both end up going their separate ways and the man is heart broken, although they both did leave their names and phone numbers on a book and a five dollar bill, seeing if by chance those same items will eventually make it back to them again after floating around the entire state where they live. A few years down the line, both the man and woman are engaged to be married to other fine people, it’s just that sometimes in life, there are other people you meet who you just feel are your soul mate and later in life, if meant to be, you connect with them again, or the book and five dollar bill comes back around to you, however it happens. I love this movie. It’s a sweet love story and I have known people who have thought they were married to their soul mate, but then something happens and they find who it really is supposed to be. So while it is a fairy tale, sometimes fairy tales come true. Love John Cusack movies! And Jeremy Piven is his buddy in real life, so the chemistry between the two is real.

Trama movimentata, con alcuni momenti puranente sentimentali, altri comici e
divertenti, e ricca di inaspettati colpi di scena. Un indovinato mix tra una fiaba alla Disney e una commedia sentimentale surreale alla Frank Capra. Il cast è stellare, con una Kate Backinsale acqua e sapone assolutamente bellissima, un John Cusack espressivo al top, un divertentissimo Jeremy Piven, e una exagitata Molly Shannon. Da cineteca le scene col commesso pedante e venale di Bloomingdales. Suggestivi gli scenari di Newyork natalizia e Central Park innevato, perfettamente resi da una fotografia nitida e con colori brillanti. La colonna sonora è adeguata al film. Il DVD è eccelente, paragonabile a un buon blu-ray. Il doppiaggio italiano è quello ottimo originale. Il film merita più di una visione per apprezzarne le sue molteplici sfumature.