Emotional Rubbernecking

Rating: 7/10 (14 March 2005)

If you walk in expecting a traditional romantic comedy (I, for one, was thinking 'Love, Actually'), you'll be pleasantly surprised. Especially as a guy... It doesn't give away anything to say that the movie is an emotional roller-coaster, which makes it ridiculously tough to describe without 'spoilers'.
Julia Roberts' Only Character (played by Julia Roberts) and Jude Law's Only Character (also excellent portrayed by Jude Law) play somewhat deranged self-obsessed good-looking people. 'Julia Roberts' is a successful, self-reliant woman who only answers to men when they speak REALLY LOUDLY. 'Jude Law' is a charming-yet-dark young man who you 'really really want to believe can change'. All in all, Julia Roberts and Jude Law do a very good job on these roles. Unsurprisingly.
Clive Owen and Natalie Portman clearly steal the show. They're sexy (in the case of Clive Owen, far surpassing his much-lauded male co-star; in the case of Natalie Portman, only to be expected), flawed, lovable, understandable, confusing and have all of those other wonderful idiosyncrasies that come with actually being able to act. Were these two replaced with lesser talents, this movie would be pedestrian, as it is, I can now understand all the well-deserved hype.
The somewhat episodic nature of the movie helps it substantially, as it gives the many, many emotional plot twists the plausibility they need ('oh, OK, that's happened because it's been months, see....). Furthermore, it allows you to pick up all the 'little things' that couple manage to change about one another with time ('Jude Law's' glasses, for example, come and go depending on his self-esteem...) Also, and on a distinctly masculine note, the dominant romantic emotion throughout the movie is anger (although, as I write this, that's possibly due to the the on-screen dominance of Clive Owen). My movie companion, who is normally a very accurate emotional barometer, didn't shed a tear - but loved the movie regardless. Just something to keep in mind.
Clever without being pretentious. Realistic, but not painstakingly so. Surprisingly enjoyable. Guys, it ain't a great date movie, but you'll be OK if you're trapped on a plane with it.