Until its out-of-character finale abandons wit, creativity, and contagious chemistry in favor of contrived misunderstandings that stink of a studio-mandated rewrite, A Lot Like Love is a deliciously fresh, ingenuous, and beguiling romantic comedy. Structured similar to When Harry Met Sally, with its fated couple crossing paths every few years without the romantic pieces quite falling into place, the movie stars Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher--two promising actors long in need of good material--as strangers who have a lustful quickie in a 727's lavatory, then continue to have fateful encounters at pivotal moments in their lives. The hard-to-contain besotted smirks, knowing glances, and playful, sexually-charged whimsy that sparkles between them--as they stare each other down in the airport before that first flight or hook up for a single New Year's Eve--is something that cannot be scripted: it's the magic of perfect casting and inspired performances (although the writing is snappy and very smart). It's a pity that the finale is marred by transparently artificial clichéd twists that insult the characters' intelligence and betray the movie's structure. Fortunately, the charm of A Lot Like Love survives--singed but still irresistible. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Nigel Cole and producers Armyan Bernstein and Kevin Messick, five deleted scenes (8 min.), a blooper reel (4 min.), the “Brighter than Sunshine” music video performed by Aqualung (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a mostly winning film.] (R. Blackwelder)
A Lot Like Love
Touchstone, 107 min., PG-13, VHS or DVD: $29.99, Aug. 23 Volume 20, Issue 4
A Lot Like Love
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