Blu-ray review: ‘Serendipity’
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Serendipity”
One of my all-time favorite romantic comedies, the 2001 hit “Serendipity” finally gets gift-wrapped in high-definition with its long-awaited Blu-ray release.
Filmed largely on location in New York City, including famed landmarks like Central Park, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the Serendipity 3 restaurant, “Serendipity” is an uncommonly beautiful rom-com. Well worth the Blu-ray treatment, the film looks as crisp and warm as the seasonal festivities that open the twisty tale.
Although I’m not generally a fan of the genre, “Serendipity” is the rare rom-com that is both unabashedly romantic and uproariously funny. It ponders big questions about the interaction of fate and free will but with a light, lively touch. Most importantly, the film sparkles with great chemistry, particularly between pre-“2012” cinematic apocalypse John Cusack and pre-“Underworld” vampire warrior Kate Beckinsale.
A few days before Christmas, affable Jonathan (Cusack) and fetching Sara (Beckinsale) meet cute when they reach for the same pair of gloves at Bloomingdale’s. Although they are both involved with other people, the strangers feel an instant connection and spend a magical Manhattan evening together.
At the end of the night, Jonathan wants to exchange phone numbers or at least last names, but Sara decides to leave their budding relationship to destiny. He writes his full name and phone number on a $5 bill that she promptly spends, and she writes her contact info in a copy of “Love in the Time of Cholera” that she promptly sells to a used bookstore. If they’re meant to be together, she reasons, they will find the clues and reunite.
Years later, Jonathan has given up his dream of becoming a documentary filmmaker in favor of working as a producer for ESPN, and he is engaged to the sweet but vanilla Halley (Bridget Moynahan). Sara, who has moved to San Francisco, soured on fate and become a pragmatic psychiatrist-in-training, has just become betrothed to Lars (John Corbett), a romantic but career-obsessed New Age musician.
In the days before his wedding, Jonathan ropes his faithful best friend Dean (Jeremy Piven), a witty obituary writer for the New York Times, into a last-ditch effort to find Sara, which entangles them with a smarmy Bloomingdale’s salesman (Eugene Levy). Under the guise of a girls’ weekend, Sara drags her loyal BFF Eve (Molly Shannon), a cynical New Age store owner, to NYC in a desperate attempt to track down Jonathan. The colorful characters, near misses and crazy coincidences on their parallel quests make the expected happy ending even sweeter.
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with any new bonus material, although it does include all the special features from the 2002 DVD release, including director Peter Chelsom’s commentary and production diary. The deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurette and storyboard comparisons are presented in standard definition, showing just how much better the movie looks after its Blu-ray upgrade.
—BAM
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