SIMPLE PREMISE: A few folks stranded in an airport b/c of weather delays meet up in a bar & start chatting like college freshmen. One gal pulls out a camcorder, and gets a few of these "memorable" moments with strangers on video, used later in the plot to unveil some critical truths...but more on that later.

Guy #1 falls in lust with camcorder gal. Guys #1 & 2 are headed to same destination, so when a free seat on the next available plane is announced, Guy #1 GIVES UP his seat to Guy #2. OK, two unbelievables already. One, that utter strangers would strike it up so quickly and smoothly in an airport lounge, and two, that lust for a total stranger would be so strong as to convince Guy #1 to give up his seat home to a different total stranger! OK...so the plot continues... Guy #2, of course, get on plane & dies in a crash. (You'd know this within 15 minutes of the movie, BTW).

Guy #1 (Ben Affleck) has a little one-night fling with camcorder-gal before he hears about the airplane accident on TV, and then is supposedly terribly guilt-ridden and spirals into a deep alcohol-induced depression for month on end over it all.

Now, here is the MAIN STORY LINE that is at its heart just bizarre & unreal. Guy #1 is so freaked out about feeling responsible for the death of this other fella (a family man with kids) that he starts to try to "help" the widow (Gwenyth Paltrow), and in turn gives her a job, courts her, falls in love & moves in on her life.

CREEPY! I'd call that stalking. Obsessiveness. Illness. Instead, even after Gwen's character finds the truth out about her new boyfriend (that randomly shot video in the airport resurfaces at just the right time...), after a brief hiatus from him she actually forgives him & welcomes him back into her life!? How about CALL THE COPS! There's a creep who has done some extra detective work to crawl under your skin. He is not healthy, lady!

This movie was predictable from the start. I rented it without any prior knowledge of the plot (I forgot to check epinions, obviously), and had it pretty much figured out in the first 15 minutes.

This movie might interest the "Titanic" crowd of teenage girls, but that is the narrow scope of its audience appeal (if even). Its unsophisticated plot and drama are a bore. Two unnecessary love scenes seem thrown in to try to give it some flavor and an adult rating, but this is a fluffy movie that's even lost its fluff.

Gwenyth Paltrow did not convince me that she was ever romantically interested in Ben Affleck's character, and when his lies were revealed she wasn't convincingly betrayed. His emotions were forced throughout the movie -- I have no idea how an audience is expected to believe that these two were "in love." It all moves quickly & stilted into something...we're not sure what.

Too easy. Too predictable.

The children in this movie suffered the LOST OPPORTUNITY, since they were as flat as characters can be, with no time to display their talents & shine. Involving them in the plot & storyline more might have helped make the Gwen/Ben relationships on screen seem a bit more believable.

Also there was a significant age difference appearances with Gwen's "best girlfriend" relationship that didn't carry well on screen, either. Bad casting all around... except...The very best actors in the whole movie had the least amount of screen time: one was killed at the top of the show & the other was the gal who caught his image on videotape & slept with our supposed "hero."

Every ache moved too stoically, too rigidly, & unbelievably unromantically. Ben played out his torture too lightly. Skip this one all together.

Do yourself a favor & rent Amelie instead!

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older