A Life Less Ordinary

A movie by Danny Boyle

With Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Ian Holm and others

Monika says:

Rough times are ahead for Robert (Ewan McGregor), who cleans offices for a living: his boss Mr. Naville (Ian Holm) declares that he will be replaced by a robot. But is that a reason to threaten the boss with a gun? The gun belongs to a hapless security guard, and Robert shoots Neville in the leg by accident: Naville's daughter believes that he needs assistance when he counts to five. And since Robert has already started to break the law he decides to go all the way and takes Celine Naville (Cameron Diaz) hostage.

If you know RUTHLESS PEOPLE you can guess what happens next. Kidnapper and kidnapped team up and eventually fall in love. Besides Celine has to give Robert some lessons on kidnapping, because he doesn't even remember to ask for ransom.

Watching the movie - closely at first, then more and more absent-minded and even bored - I came to realize that for me it was already way past the expiration date. Maybe movies should be shown with a warning like the one seen on websites that tells you what version of which browser to use to appreciate all the various gimmicks. This goes for movies as well: if you are over or under a certain age you just can't bring yourself to like a certain movie, even if it's well done and the actors do their best portraying the characters. When I watched A LIFE LESS ORDINARY the audience around me with an average age of about 20 years had the time of their lives. Only one viewer of unknown age did not utter a sound and left the theater in a hurry almost before the movie was really over.

So why was that? Maybe it was the story, that didn't have anything new to offer and wasn't done in the refreshing way RUTHLESS PEOPLE was. Ian Holm wasn't as convincing as the evil father as Danny DeVito back then as Sam Stone, who tried to get rid of his unwanted wife by refusing to pay the ransom. However, the two angels sent to Earth to make Celine and Robert fall in love added some originality to A LIFE LESS ORDINARY. If they annoyed the Archangel Gabriel they would have to remain exiled on Earth, so they needed to think of something to get the job done. Their task was not an easy one. Father Naville did his best to stop them. Apart from those few highlights the story dragged along like old gum and one couldn't help glancing at the watch - a sure sign for a movie who failed to entertain.

Not recommended for people who don't belong to the MTV generation.

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Monika Hübner