BEFORE: I wasn't able to organize my February films "perfectly" thanks to the birthdays (no arrangement is ever "perfect"...) but I was able to put three NYC-based romance movies together, this is the 2nd one. And the last four films are all calendar-based, whether the theme is 500 days or just a birthday. Like last night's film, this one details a one-year period in the life of a couple, but this one goes pre-Christmas to pre-Christmas.
Last night's film was a reunion of the couple from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (never seen it...), and this is sort of a reunion from "The Deer Hunter". Linking last night's cast to tonight's is just too easy - Judah Friedlander from "I Hate Valentine's Day" was in "Showtime" with Robert De Niro - there's no sport in that.
THE PLOT: While shopping for Christmas, Frank and Molly run into each other. This fleeting short moment will start to change their lives...
AFTER: Tonight's couple meets while shopping, but they're both commuters on the Metro-North and live in or near Dobbs Ferry, which is on the Hudson River, between Yonkers and Tarrytown (aka Sleepy Hollow). They enjoy each other's company, and strike up a friendship that leads to romance. Just two problems - his wife and her husband.
I don't know what I was expecting out of this one, but I ended up really ambivalent - not really liking it, but not finding fault with it either. I guess I expected more out of De Niro (last seen in "Ronin") and Meryl Streep (last seen in "Before and After"). I had a bit of a rom-com thing going, but there's no real comedy here. It's just a basic slice-of-life portrait of a potential affair. Plus there was the common mistake of not detailing WHY both people were unsatisfied with their marriages.
I was out at a beer dinner earlier this evening (a rare event for a Sunday...) so I'm amazed I was able to stay awake during this one.
Also starring Harvey Keitel (last seen in "Thelma & Louise"), Jane Kaczmarek (last seen in "The Chamber"), Dianne Weist (last seen in "I Am Sam"), David Clennon (last seen in "Legal Eagles"), plus Jesse Bradford (last seen in "Presumed Innocent") as one of De Niro's sons.
RATING: 5 out of 10 payphones.
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