Serendipity (John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s not quite six years since we last watched the film ‘Serendipity’. However we don’t have a huge number of Christmas films, so they come around more often than our others. We vaguely remembered the story, but had forgotten most of the details.

While it’s not a traditional Christmas film, it starts (and finishes) in a well-decorated store in the run-up to Christmas. Kate Beckinsale is perfect as Sara, a young woman who wants to buy some black gloves. At the same moment, Jonathan (John Cusack) tries to take hold of them, as a present for his girlfriend. The two start by both claiming them, then insisting that the other have them - it feels quite believable, and shows their very likeable personalities right at the start.

Eventually Sara buys them, and agrees to treat Jonathan to some iced chocolate. They have a lot to talk about, and he is clearly very attracted to her; but they are both in other relationships. They part… and then for different reasons, bump into each other again, and decide to go ice skating…

Serendipity (John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Jeremy Piven)

(Amazon UK link)

I'm not entirely sure why Amazon recommended 'Serendipity' to me, but I suppose it's in the genre I tend to like - that of lighthearted love stories. So, having been given it as a gift, we sat down to watch it one chilly evening.

It's the story of Jon (John Cusack) and Sarah (Kate Beckinsale) who meet by chance in a department store. Both are in other relationships, and both desperately want to buy the last pair of black gloves in the shop, shortly before Christmas. Despite the battle, there’s an immediate chemistry between them, and as they get talking, they wonder if they might be soulmates… however, since they both have partners already, they decide to allow destiny to guide them.

The film then fast forwards a few years, to find Jon and Sarah living a long distance apart, each about to be married to someone else. Sarah’s fiancé is a strange kind of guy who obviously doesn’t deserve her, but John’s fiancée, while a little characterless, seems likeable enough.

Suddenly - and here the story takes a strangely dubious tack - Jon and Sarah both become obsessed with finding each other, and a confusing chase ensues, with each of them missing the other by seconds, time and again. Frustrating to watch, in a way, but probably realistic, although I rather assumed from the start that they would probably end up finding each other eventually...

It’s a quirky kind of story with more than a hint of Cinderella: each ends up with one glove, and is searching for the person with the missing one. There are some mild anachronisms – the fact that nobody seems to feel cold when it’s snowing out, for instance – and the number of coincidences seem a little overboard.

Still, the acting is good, the chemistry between the two main actors works, and there’s some light humour. I particularly liked the scenes with Jon and his best friend Dean, excellently played by Jeremy Piven.

All in all, a pleasant movie without too much schmalz for a relaxing evening, if rather unrealistic in storyline.

Rated PG-13 in the USA, 12 in the UK. Only fairly mild bad language, but there is one intimate scene although it's from the back, and nothing untoward is actually seen.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews