I've always had an interest in watching bad movies. Alex and I used to deliberately watch them late at night and try to understand why they were bad, what made us think so, and what might have made other people think so - what made them a failure in the box office etc. It's not as obvious as it might seem for some movies, and thus makes this quite a challenging exercise. For instance, last night I saw the film Serendipity. Why was this not a huge success?, I asked myself afterwards. Sometimes, I think, no matter how good a movie is, its circumstances undermine it - when and how it was promoted. Serendipity came out in 2001, and I think by then people were quite bored of romantic comedies - all the way since Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. We are too cynical for that sort of thing anymore. Another problem with the film was the over-emphasis on 'fate'. I don't think many people really believe in fate that much, certainly not enough to make a religion out of it, which is almost what this movie does. Again, we are too cynical nowadays. Yet another problem for the film is the slight heartlessness of the lead characters: they seek each other out, virtually ignoring the attractive partners they already have*. One last problem must have been its stars: John Cusack is just not a lead actor, certainly not a romantic lead. Whilst I enjoy his performances, I think he's perhaps a little too creepy for women to really like. Kate Beckinsale is of course very attractive for men, but she's not a big star, not a big name. Somehow, the film just doesn't tie all of its elements together to make a successful film, although it has many successful elements. Eugene Levy has a great cameo, though.
*I intend to post again on this aspect of bullying in American cinema/television. I have often thought Friends is quite a nasty show in this regard: they quite ferociously bully away almost everyone who comes close to their intimate circle.
