A Life Less Ordinary (Danny Boyle, 1997)
As with Shallow Grave, takes a few very common themes (kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, rebellious daughter) and puts a twist on it. Early in the film we are presented with two elements. We've got a bureaucracy in heaven where two angels, played by Delroy Lindo and Holly Hunter, are tasked with making people fall in love. Due to failing success (a comment on rising divorce rates and the like) God is cracking down saying that failure means no return to heaven. So they set out. We also see a recently fired, recently dumped, recently evicted janitor Robbie (Ewan McGregor) decide to go force the head of his company (Ian Holm) to give him his job back. Through a turn of events he ends up shooting his boss in the leg and running off with the very willing hostage (Cameron Diaz) whose had recently been cut-off for failing to go for her dad's desired pick to marry her (Stanley Tucci), who SHE accidentally shot in the process. Oh, and there are also cameos from Tony Shalhoub, a young Timothy Olyphant, and the recently deceased Maury Chaykin. It doesn't have an all-star cast exactly but it is still a deep cast of people you'll recognize.
As one can tell from the plot introduction, it is an odd, kind of twisty film. The film's great strength is the comedic moments that abound, such as when Robbie calls to make his ransom demand, threatening to cut "your daughter" into pieces. Only he's called the wrong number so he starts apologizing to the woman on the phone, who proceeds to try to set him up with HER daughter. This humor and the novel aspect of the plot and its unconventional take on the topic of destiny is certainly reason enough to see the film.
But I'm not sure it really is a great film. Cameron Diaz isn't really able to carry her weight here next to Ewan McGregor (who I will be an apologist for until the end of times). I could see the film being better with better casting of Celine. Also, the film gets really treacly toward the end and just rather a mess. I do suppose, given the nature of the story, that you cannot accuse it, negatively, of a deus ex machina, though it certainly features something that would qualify, as that is entirely the point. But I guess even when justified, the deus ex machina isn't an emotionally resonant device.
Rating: 3/5