"Not typical" are the two words that would describe A Lot Like Love. It isn't the usual romantic comedies or those saccharine-sweet love stories where audience get to feel either a tingling sensation all over their body or choke to death with their usual sappiness.Emily (Amanda Peet) and Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) met on a flight to New York. On the airplane, they had their very first "encounter". From that day on, they knew that was instant chemistry between them. Despite not being an "artist" that Emily seems to like, Oliver is witty and charming. In New York, they met, dated, and parted. Four years past and circumtances allowed them to meet once more. On their date, it's both obvious to them (and to the audience!) that they are good together only that Oliver had to leave for another state the following day. Past forward to a few more years and there they are again, together. The moment when they realized that they belong together was the time they would learn that their current situations wouldn't allow them to.
A Lot Like Love, apart from the great performances of the actors, has a very well-written script. It isn't teeny-bopper cute or neither trying too hard to be romantic. It is perfectly engaging with characters that are so human and dealing with realistic situations. Sure, there are cliched moments but you'd get over them.
Finally, a Ben Stiller type of movie without Ben Stiller in it! Simon Green (Kutcher) was about to meet his future in-laws on their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Only that his girlfriend, Theresa (Zoe Zaldana), didn't tell them that he is white! Thinking that the color won't matter to her parents, Theresa didn't bother to tell them at all. However, it did matter to her father, Percy Jones (Bernie Mac). The tension between Percy and Simon started to widen when Simon tried lying to him just so he (Percy) would get to like him more. However, instead of Simon losing Theresa, both of them lost their partners because of their battles.
Yes, this movie is very Meet the Parents more than an adaptation (or remake) of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Despite that, it has its moments. For one thing, as I've mentioned earlier, it has no Ben Stiller in it! Besides, even though his and Kutcher's characters seemed the same (as the guy who screws things up in his fiancee's home), Kutcher was better and quite acceptable. Isn't Ben quite old enough to be brought home to someone's parents or the one who is still looking for love (Along Came Polly)?
This movie somehow touches on the issue of race without being too preachy. It was funny and endearing at the same time. Thanks for Kutcher! We can give Stiller a break with these kind of movies. Hehehe...
Daisy Gamble (Barbra Streisand) asked pyschiatrist, Dr. Charbot, to help her with her nicotine addiction. She wants him to do a hypnosis on her and make a suggestion that she should slowly quit smoking. However, during regression, Dr. Charbot discovered that Daisy was Melinda Tentrees in her past life. Thinking that she might just making it up, he continued the sessions with her. Smitten with Melinda, he soon discovered that she truly lived during the days she said she had lived. But what he didn't expect was falling in love with her (Melinda). To complicate things more, Daisy had fallen in love with him. Only that she didn't know that he was in love with Melinda who happened to be her in her past life that she didn't know had existed.On a Clear Day You See Forever may not have become a hit like other Streisand films, but for me it is! It is one truly enjoyable film that I would take over Funny Girl! The emotions were clear and the picture was vibrant and colorful. The songs and dialogues were equally great, too!
There are these lines that blew me over while watching the film:
Melinda: Is love so blind that I didn't see that he was already hurting me?
Dr. Chabot: No. Love isn't blind. It is just not trusting is too tiring...
True, isn't it?
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