Serendipity (John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale)

(Amazon UK link)

One rom-com film is, in many respects, much like another in the overall plot. We have quite a collection, and since we have forgotten most of the details of those we saw nine or ten years ago, we’re re-watching some of them. The one we picked up last night is ‘Serendipity’, which we saw almost exactly ten years ago. Neither of us had any memory of it - although we did recall one or two scenes as we watched.

It’s the kind of film to watch in or around the Christmas/winter season. It starts just before Christmas, when crowds of people are frantically shopping for last-minute gifts. Two people want the same pair of gloves, the last one in stock. Jon (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) argue about the gloves - each wanting them, and then wanting the other to have them - and are unexpectedly attracted to each other. They part company, only to bump into each other again later.

They decide their meeting is serendipity - hence the title - and spend the evening together, finding a lot in common, and a deep rapport, which Jon would like to continue. But Sara has a quirky belief in ‘fate’ and decides that if a relationship is meant to happen, then it will. They don’t exchange numbers or addresses; instead they let their details out into the wild, so to speak.

And then they lose touch. Both become involved in other relationships: Sara with a scruffy musician, Jon with a glamorous girl - and when we see them again, he’s about to get married. But he can’t get Sara out of his mind. So he decides to make one last effort to find her, hoping that doing so will enable him to let go so he can enjoy his marriage.

It’s a bit of a comedy of errors at this point; coincidentally Sara has started thinking about Jon, and there are a series of near misses. It almost began to feel as if ‘fate’ was determined to keep them apart despite their best efforts, and I felt a mixture of amusement and frustration. But it’s all very well done, nicely paced, and it didn’t matter too much that reality had to be somewhat suspended.

I did feel sorry for Jon’s bride-to-be, as his search becomes an obsession, and I really couldn’t remember how it ended. Of course it was inevitable that he and Sara would eventually meet, but I had no idea if they would decide to shake hands and move on, or whether they would get together. I’m glad I didn’t know, although of course I had guessed, and I’d certainly forgotten how it happened.

Some romantic comedies are more bittersweet than amusing, and some are short on romance; this is one that succeeds admirably in both, and it made an enjoyable evening’s viewing. The UK rating is PG, the US put it as PG-13, which I feel is more appropriate. There are sexual references and one scene of intimacy, albeit with nothing showing, and a few instances of bad language. But I can’t imagine this kind of story appealing to a child anyway, though a mature teenager of twelve or thirteen might enjoy it for the near misses and the gentle humour.

Recommended.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews