Every day like the one before...

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2007)

GROUNDHOG DAY is really a jigsaw puzzle of a film. Are we supposed to believe that somehow fate decrees that for punishment you must relive every day like the one before--if you are judged to be a rude enough person in need of redemption? A pretty shaky premise for any comedy/fantasy--and yet, the amazing thing about GROUNDHOG DAY is that it succeeds despite the flawed premise.
There are numerous twists and turns in the plot--totally unexpected and welcome--otherwise, with the story heading in the same direction day after day, things could have become pretty monotonous. That pitfall is avoided by spicing up the story with just the little differences that make for some brilliant comic touches.
BILL MURRAY is quite acceptable here as the unprincipled weather man who decides to change his ways--rather improbably, I might add--and alter the course of his life. ANDIE MacDOWELL is pleasing enough as the woman he falls in love with, although never one of my favorite actresses. And others in the cast keep the comedy on a high level throughout much of the running time.
Summing up: Improbable fantasy never explains why Murray suffers this strange fate--but it maintains interest and the screenplay has enough originality to keep it fresh.