Serendipity (2001)

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I'll put this right out there that I happen to like John Cusack. I think he's got the chops to pull off a lot of different roles and there's this dry wit about him that I love. And Kate Beckinsale is, let's be honest here, she's absolutely gorgeous and finally she's able to show the world that she's not just another pretty face but can actually act. So we're faced with a couple that meet by accident, have a perfect date and are going their separate ways. But they're going to let fate decide if they're to be an item or not. So if within 10 years they meet again they will wind up together. If not, it was never meant to be.Years pass and while they've moved on, each of them in a relationship and thinking of getting married they can't let go of that one chance meeting while buying gloves for their respective loves. So they put their plans on hold and each one of them tries to find the other.Through a series of near misses they literally find each other and of course sparks fly. The end.As I said it's not a deep movie. It's not an engrossing movie. And it's not a particularly clever movie. But it's fun. And that's really the best thing that can be said about it.

Are you feeling lonely this winter? I am pretty convinced that this corny plot story will get you out those cold-caused goose bumps and make you rethink about why do you still alone. Maybe it isn't meant to be right? Could it be possible to belong to someone's future, even if we don't know him or her yet? Just in Christmas Eve, New York and its lovely well decorated department stores hold thousands of love stories, like the one between Jonathan Trager and Sarah Thomas, complete strangers who meet because of time's requirements and by destiny's caprice. The whole movie is about one character's desire to wait for time to decide, while the other one rejects the idea of being manipulated by some kind of force out of this world, which they will tend to call it, fate, destiny and even fortune in its most grated cases.Serendipity, or, as some people calls it "Happy Accident" means to make a fortunate discovery by accident. That is indeed why this made-for couple which will always stay at fate's wiliness. Also an ice cream flavor, this word represents the message of this film, the attempt to convince us that everything is written and if it is, will happen for sure.Premiered in 2001 this fifteen year old movie is going to definitely heat you up, while you discover at the same time as the characters do, if they are meant to be or not. Up to people with all kind of relationships, or having no one is accepted. Comments on this movie suggest that the light is shown when the magical things start to happen and, it will catch you until the end of the film.

Normally, I don't watch, too many of these so-called, 'Chick-Flick' romantic movies, because how predictable and bad, they all were, but this movie directed by Peter Chelsom is worth watching and keeping close to your heart. I found 'Serendipity' to be very entertaining. The film tells the story of two strangers, Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale), who meet in Bloomingdale's after grabbing the same pair of gloves as a Christmas gift for their respective partners. Both, become very smitten with each other, but before they could exchange numbers and names, they were separate by fate. Leaving them, with nothing, but a few clues, on how to find, the other. Both search for each other for years, until one day, they found a new clue that might lead to reaching each other. Without spoiling, the movie, too much, I have to say, Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack really do seem like they have the chemistry for each other to make this movie, works, even if they only share a small amount of screen-time, together. However, I still see, their separation, as their own damn faults. Who tempts fate like that!? While, it's true, that the idea of these two, falling madly with each other, over a few hours, one night, might seem a bit, far-fetched & the contrived coincidence that follows, a bit impractical, but who says, watching a movie for escapism is bad news. Much of this movie's charm and humor, comes from the fact, that both of these characters, barely miss connecting with each other. I just wonder, what would happen to them, after they spent a lot of time, with each other. Would they really connect with each other, or will they grow bore & indifferent to each other? Who Knows! The movie doesn't explore that. It would be nice for some realistic, but this romantic comedy movie isn't that type of a drama-full film. Instead, the movie focus on lovesickness being like an illness, that people can't get over. I get what this movie is going for, but maybe, it's wasn't the best thing, to use the book, 'Love in the Time of Cholera', as a way to show that. Don't get me wrong, author Gabriel García Márquez is a fine book, but comparing love to a strong case of deadly life-killing disease isn't the best metaphor. Another thing, according to this movie, it is perfectly fine to go searching for the love of your life whilst neglecting the woman you are about to marry. Talk about an extreme case of cold feet. While, the respective fiancés, Halley Buchanan (Bridget Moynahan) & Lars Hammond (John Corbett) are neither interesting enough to merit their screen time, I do feel somewhat awful enough & uncomfortable about seeing them, get dumped for somebody, the two leads, only met once, long time ago. Also, there is something a bit sinister in this film, when a guy is able to stalk a women, based on what she buys. Isn't that, kinda illegal and somewhat creepy? It sorta makes Bloomingdale, look bad, when an employee is willing to give information, about a customer like that. It doesn't help that, this film was made, during 9/11 attacks in New York. Just think, how much the Patriot Act is allowed people to get away with now. While, I didn't like that, I didn't have too much of a problem with, is the clichés one-dimensional supporting character that has nothing else to do, besides helping these characters get together. Surprising, both Jeremy Piven & Molly Shannon as Jonathan Trager's friend, Dean Kansky & Sara's friend, Eve weren't that bad. It's just odd, that they would be, 'gun-ho' for travelling all over the world, just to see Sara and Jonathan to hook up. Another problem with this film, is how unreliable, all of their problems is, for the common viewer. All of the lead characters are white, mostly happy, and in the middle or upper class. In many ways, this conflict is very first world with all the yuppies product placements. Despite that, this movie is well shot in New York City and San Francisco. The locations used here, really gives the film, an identity. The very end, in an empty skating rink, with softly falling snow was just beautiful. Another cool thing, about this film is the soundtrack. Lots of guilty pleasure songs, worth checking out. Overall: While, this movie will never have the fans, that 1993's 'Sleepless in Seattle' or 1989's 'When Harry Met Sally' had. It's still a movie, worth seeing, at least once.

Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, along with plenty of candles and Christmas lights give this movie a warm glow.In how-to-draw portrait books, we are taught to start with sketched lines to define a classic head shape, then to divide the face into equal segments – few people in real life actually fit those idealised proportions, however Kate Beckinsale does – and as Sara Thomas, she has never been photographed to better advantage.Along with her polished English accent, and her understated style, she is a disarming package (and also possessor of an outrageous sense of humour judging from late night chat shows). It actually makes believable that John Cusack's Jonathon Trager would keep her memory fresh after meeting her for only one night five years before.Cusack is interesting for other reasons. There always seems to be something else going on beneath that somewhat cynical surface. I'm not sure romantic comedy is as natural for him as it is for her. He seems more defined by edgier fare such as "The Grifters" or "The Frozen Ground". However, that may be just the right energy for this role because for much of the film Jonathan is engaged to another woman while desperately seeking Sara.The production is a stylish one, and exudes a romantic quality. If there is a disappointment it is that genuinely witty lines are a little hard to come by in "Serendipity".Normally a comedy can get a lot of mileage out of best man speeches, but the one delivered by Jeremy Pivan's character is a bit of a misfire. Other lines although milked hard, don't quite make it.Fortunately, the scene where Jonathan encounters the sales clerk played by Eugene Levy delivers laughs lacking in other places – sales clerks, whether acid tongued, prissy or totally obsequious, rarely fail to get laughs in comedies, especially when in the hands of expert practitioners such as W.C. Fields, Paul Lynde or Larry Miller in "Pretty Woman"."Serendipity" doesn't quite line up with my personal favourites of the genre: "Four Weddings and a Funeral", Sleepless in Seattle and "You've Got Mail". However, it features two engaging stars, who skate serenely over the cracks in an unapologetically over-the-top story.