The Very Thought of You -- AKA: Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence (1998)
Rated: R
Stars: Monica Potter (Martha), Joseph Fiennes (Laurence), Tom Hollander (Daniel), Rufus Sewell (Frank)

Recently my sister came for a visit and we had one of our marathon movie watching sessions. One of the movies included The Very Thought of You, a sweet British romantic comedy. I found it to be a good pick for a 'girls movie night'. The story is a recounting of three days that Laurence is making to a psychiatrist in his building. It seems that he and his two closest friends have all met "the one". Too bad Martha is the girl each of them wants. We first meet Martha at the airport. Martha is sick of her life so she has packed up and decided to fly wherever $99 will get her to start a new life. There she meets Daniel when she beats him to a luggage cart. He is instantly smitten and tries to win her over on the flight from the US to London. He sets her up in a hotel he uses for business, but after one night she is gone, and Daniel is left pouring his heart out to his buddies, Frank and Laurence.

Through Laurence's story we get flashes to different parts of the previous days that show how Martha met each guy in different ways and has no idea that they all know each other. What will happen to the guy's friendship when they all find out they like the same girl? What will happen when she finds out they all know each other? Sure some of the movie is far fetched but most romance movies are.

Joseph Fiennes does a great job at playing Laurence. Laurence is the shy, loyal, peacemaker of the group. He is always in the middle of arguments between Frank and Daniel. He still clings to the group when what her really wants to do is just pack up and leave. Start all over again. Tom Hollander is also quite good as Daniel. Daniel is the flashy and successful music mogul, who is not really the person he seems to be. He is always competing with Frank and trying to get Laurence to side with him. Rufus Sewell puts in another nice performance as the glum, out-of-work actor Frank. Frank is the guy who always gets his girl taken away by the flashier Daniel. He complains about his bad life but always blows his chances when he gets them. Monica Potter as Martha was the only person I felt could have done a better job. She is cute does a fine job, but there is just something missing there, her emotions don't play right in certain points of the movie.

Overall I think the movie was well acted and it moved along at a nice brisk pace. I found no parts were lagging. The characters are a bit flat and could have used a bit more development, but it didn't really detract that much from the movie overall. Lastly, I would like to say I cannot believe this movie is rated R there is no sex, violence or gore.

If you like movies like: Head over Heels, Notting Hill, or Shakespeare in Love you should give The Very Thought of You a try.





Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older