Twice Upon a Yesterday (1999)

Undescribable Perfection

Simply A Masterpiece

Great Film overall

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I sat down to watch this last night, expecting to see the movie with Jennifer Love Hewitt (this one is called "If Only" on this side of the pond), and almost turned it off in the first 10 minutes. I'm glad I didn't.Douglas Henshaw looks so shambolic that its difficult to believe he pulled a poppet like Lena Headley, but he is a very good actor and gradually the movie draws you in, taking you on a whimsical ride in the style of Richard Curtis, albeit rather more subdued.My guess is that Penelope Cruz was there to provide American audiences with a familiar name, and she does an reasonable job without ever setting the screen alight. What I'd really like to know though is whether the characters of the Spanish garbagemen came about as a result of casting her, or vice-versa. Either way, it works well, and the resulting story of love, choices, fate and moving on is nicely told, without preaching.Unfortunately, I worked out what was going to happen about half an hour before the end, and for that reason can only give it 8/10; but it was a good enough film to watch it out, and I'm sure it'll provide canoodling couples with a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours for many years to come.

IF ONLY presents a deep sense of the passionate banks of life people desire and pursue in the temporal thoroughfare of life. Reckless mistakes, mindless whims, flipping desires and cradled agonies make it a film worth a watch. The way truth counters dreams and bring to end relationships that have lost love only to start another mishap of the heart. Love dies the death of a forlorn phoenix only to rise from its ashes to bloom new buds. If only makes us falter more and more into plummeting reality amid islands of solace that wet shoes with rains bring in to our own home, with lonely memories of love, of secrets, of waves splashing against life.Lena Headey and Penelope Cruz challenged their critics in this subtle tale of passion. Henshall is better than his regular sitcom spree. Ripoll's plot is deep and tries to creates magic-realism in making the protagonist turn back temporally to undo blemishes of the past. The scenes with the Spanish garbage-men and lines from Cervantes make certain scenes glitter with color and words.Folks, watch this movie to relive passion.

First off this film was called "twice upon a yesterday" in the theatre and on video when I saw it, so this other title may confuse you. **spoilers follow**. This is a solid film. An interesting story, well directed and well acted. The reason I like this film so much is that it examines all those twists of fate that govern one's life. How many times has one wondered what might have been had one not met a person at a certain place at a certain time? Or also wondered if only I could undo what has happened! Victor's character gets a chance at redemption and he is able to try and mend his ways. However his life seems destined to go a certain way. I liked how this film explored that whole idea of karma and destiny and how maybe life would have gone exactly the same way no matter what we envisioned. As a guy one can only laugh as well as empathize with Victor's paranoia over his girlfriend's impending infidelity. There is nothing he can do to stop it, because it is fate. All in all, a well crafted little fairy tale.

If you haven't seen this movie and you believe in fate, please, go to your video store and rent it!!!!! In this movie you are going to see how fate can not been changed. It is really a very inspiring movie because it will make you see everything with much more hope.