Wednesday 17 June 2020

A Life Less Ordinary - Not an ordinary rom-com

A Life Less Ordinary was the next film in the highly-bankable combination of (director) Danny Boyle and (actor) Ewan McGregor. After the success of Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, it was thought that they could do no wrong. Sadly, A Life Less Ordinary was not half so well received.
Critics accused it of simply missing the point and lacking direction. And, yes, I can see their point. However, that's not to say that it's all bad. It's about two angels, charged with the task of getting the most unlikely couple (spoilt rich girl Cameron Diaz and penniless writer and toilet cleaner, Ewan McGregor) to fall in love. What follows is a road movie involving kidnapping, quirky angels and robbery.

Perhaps the problem is that it was marketed as a romantic comedy. Yes, it has both elements (mainly romance), but not much comedy. What replaces the traditional laughs is more a surreal atmosphere more akin to a Monty Python film in places.

Personally, I liked it. Or rather most of it. There's not many people who seems to like all of it. I will admit that there were certain sub-plots that could have been left out.

It's not that funny, but its uniqueness does give it some kudos. Plus Diaz and McGregor make a cute couple, so, if you're a fan of either of them, this should tick enough boxes for you.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one

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