A Life Less Ordinary

This was one of Danny Boyle's earlier films. Of course this was way, way before Danny Boyle's Oscar.

A Life Less Ordinary is not your average, standard Hollywood rom-com. It's a romantic comedy with a twist. Delroy Lindo and the beautiful Holly Hunter play angels (literal, heavenly, cosmic angels) who are tasked by God to make sure that the odd couple of Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz fall in love.

This is the film where, in my opinion, Danny Boyle sold out. Danny Boyle's films have that unmistakable indie/art film quality about them, which seems to be missing in this particular film. We have less of the fantastic, magical, avante-garde shots characteristic of a Danny Boyle picture; instead, we have a safer approach to the overall visual feel, with less treading on experimental ground. Blame it all on the budget, and a cast of big-name stars.

But still, despite being described as a sell-out, Danny Boyle is still one of the best visual storytellers in the world right now. This film was released way back in 1997, and even then Boyle's visual style was already cemented.

Although Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor's onscreen chemistry passes the believability test, it's Delroy Lindo's and Holly Hunter's performances that the viewers will most likely remember. Well, that is of course aside from the brilliant supporting actors Stanley Tucci, Ian Holm, and Tony Shalhoub, whose mere presence in the film is a testament to its sell-out status.


*some info from imdb
photo from geekshow.us


A Life Less Ordinary. UK. 1997.


Rating: Seven over ten.