Chaos Theory (2007)

Regista:

Marcos Siega

Sceneggiatore (WGA):

Daniel Taplitz (written by)

Data di uscita:

26 ottobre 2007 (Japan)

Genere:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Slogan:

This man will bring order to the universe...or not.

Plot:

The story of an obsessively organized efficiency expert whose life unravels in unexpected ways when fate forces him to explore the serendipitous nature of love and forgiveness.

Plot Keywords:

Father | Girl In Bra And Panties | Bar Scene | Cause And Effect | Misunderstanding

Recensioni degli utenti:

Chaos Theory Movie Review

Cast

Ryan Reynolds	...	Frank Allen
Emily Mortimer	...	Susan Allen
Stuart Townsend	...	Buddy Endrow
Sarah Chalke	...	Paula Crowe
Mike Erwin	...	Ed
Constance Zimmer	...	Peg the Teacher
Matreya Fedor	...	Jesse Allen (7 years)
Elisabeth Harnois	...	Jesse Allen
Chris William Martin	...	Damon
Jovanna Huguet	...	Maid of Honor
Christopher Jacot	...	Simon / Best Man
Alessandro Juliani	...	Ken
Lisa Calder	...	Sherri
Ty Olsson	...	Evil Ferryman
Jocelyne Loewen	...	Pregnant Nancy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.

Durata:

87 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sonoro:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Divieti:

USA:PG-13

Luoghi delle riprese:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Land Films

Errori:

Continuity: The length of Frank's cigarette changes in his scene with Buddy in the motel room.

Citazioni:

[first lines]
Jesse Allen: [to Maid of Honor, while wearing wedding dress] Give it to me straight: virginal bride or slut in white?

Movie Connections:

Fa riferimento a "Mister Ed" (1961)

Colonna sonora:

Say

Chaos Theory Movie Review

Chaos Theory doesn't have enough comedy to be a well-rounded comedy, nor does it have enough drama to be an adequately heavy-hitting drama. Instead, it chooses to blend those two genres, as well as throwing in scenes of tear-jerker romance, and the result is seemingly appropriate chaos. Ultimately, however, with a star like Ryan Reynolds, who seems suppressed with the overbearing drama in what should have been a solid comedy, Chaos Theory doesn't amount to much more than something to pass the time.

Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) lives life according to careful structure and planning out every minute of his day with note cards, which he writes for himself constantly. He's so successful at it, that he is an efficiency expert public speaker who lectures on multi-tasking and organization to crowds of uncaring business people.

His wife Susan (Emily Mortimer), becoming irked by his constant scribbling of notes, decides to set the clock back 10 minutes (described in the film as setting the clock forward) to give him some much-needed stress relief. However, her blunder causes him to miss the ferry that should have transported him to his presentation on time management. An hour behind schedule, he has ten too many drinks, and suddenly finds himself in the company of a home-wrecking seductress in his hotel room. When his wife calls to overhear a woman's voice, things go from bad to worse – especially when on his hurried trip home he gets in a car wreck with a pregnant woman, and is stuck helping deliver the child! A film about miscalculations and misunderstandings, Chaos Theory does have its moments of genuine laughs and realistic drama. But the two rarely blend seamlessly, and at the start the film is lighthearted and funny until it blatantly crashes into eye-opening drama, which abruptly changes the tone. Bits of comedy attempt to weasel itself into the now all-too-serious tragedies that continue to pile onto poor Frank, but the humor quickly becomes too little too late. Some of the events are traumatizing, while others are just silly, but most of all the unfortunate coincidences and exhaustive love triangle elements wear out the viewer, who can't picture Reynolds doing anything but Van Wilder vulgarity.

The characters often unrealistically restrain their use of abrasive language, and many of the plot devices, such as the index card ultimatum Frank presents at the beginning of the film, are terribly predictable. Emily Mortimer remains depressingly serious after the opening scene (in which she appears uncontrollably drunk) and the other supporting characters fail to emote anything remotely authentic. Reynolds juggles being a "creature of freedom" or a "monster of depression" as he adopts a lifestyle of embracing chance and whim, but he seems held back from his usual over-the-top comedy.

At one point Frank explains to his friend Buddy (Stuart Townsend) that all of the decisions he has made in his life, based on careful index-card outlining, were wrong. And that's how the audience feels about the progression of Chaos Theory's story, which jumps from mildly funny comedy to bleak drama, and never resembles the attentive construction that the title surely contrasts.

- Mike Massie