Word: diaz
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...disappointingly mediocre follow-up by the makers of last year's brilliant Trainspotting. The illpaced narrative tells the story of Robert (Ewan McGregor), a recently-fired janitor who unwittingly kidnaps the beautiful daughter (Cameron Diaz) of his rich ex-boss. Screenwriter John Hodge attempts to freshen things up by tossing in gun-toting angels, a psychotic dentist and some forced romantic comedy, but only manages to further muddle the plot. A messy film that looks like a work-in-progress. --Jordan...
...hence the bombastic promotion of A Life Less Ordinary. Set in America this time around, it tells the story of a match made in heaven. Literally. Replete with gun-toting angels, phone conversations with God (a charming uncredited cameo by Sean Connery), botched bank robberies, psychotic dentists, Cameron Diaz, and a lot of guns, the film looks to be a fresh, funny romp around some of the weirder extremities of multi-genre filmmaking...
...shaggy protagonist is at the end of his rope. During a trippy-freak-out-on-the-bed scene (which bears a strong resemblance to the trippy-freak-out-on-the-bed scene in Trainspotting), Robert comes up with a solution: kidnap his ex-boss' daughter Celine (a painfully typecast Diaz), drive away and improvise from there...
...problems with the film are not limited to stylistic issues: McGregor and Diaz display about as much chemistry as a pile of salt and, well, another pile of salt. It is difficult to tell whether or not the two actors really have no connection at all or if the script is to blame; either way, something has gone terribly wrong somewhere in the creative process...
...Diaz, in the umpteenth reprise of her standard snotty bitch role (She's the One, Feeling Minnesota), seems barely able to even go through the motions: Blah blah blah, I'm cold and heartless, blah blah blah, now I've learned to love and be vulnerable. Diaz always gives the impression that she actually is a good actress, but until she starts taking roles that give her a little room to work, audiences will never know for sure...