Kate & Leopold

Kate & Leopold

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DVD Reviews of Kate & Leopold

DVD Review: Ryan, Jackman Deserve Better
Summary: 2 Stars

It's New York, 1876; the Brooklyn Bridge (which ultimately figures prominently in the plot) is being built, and though John Roebling's "erection" (as it is referred to) is of great interest to Leopold Mountbatten (Jackman), Duke of Albany, there are more pressing matters in his life. His Uncle Millard (Paxton Whitehead) is insisting that Leopold choose a bride from amongst the most rich and available of society, and has arranged for a ball to be held at his mansion, at which time his nephew will announce the name of the lucky lady. At the ball, however, a stranger catches Leopold's eye, who-- when he notices he is being watched-- bolts from the premises with Leopold in pursuit. The chase takes them to the bridge, whereupon something inexplicable happens, and Leopold suddenly finds himself in New York, 2001, in the apartment of the man he had been chasing, Stuart Besser (Liev Schreiber). Things happen fairly rapidly after that, and very quickly Leopold meets Stuart's ex-girlfriend (who lives upstairs), Kate McKay (Ryan). And then the real story begins as, not surprisingly (refer to title of film here), Kate and Leopold discover that there may be something more to their chance meeting than just a newly founded friendship. But there's a problem, and it's a big one: They happen to live in different centuries...

In the final analysis, this mildly diverting, minor romantic fantasy is buoyed by the star power it employs, without which it would barely stay afloat. Not that it's a "bad" movie, but it suffers from a decided lack of originality in both story and presentation. Given the concept of the film, it needed an imaginative touch to really make it work, and unfortunately, Mangold was unable to provide it. And it's a shame, because in Ryan and Jackman he had two of the main ingredients for success, but he failed to make the most of it. Like mixing metaphors, mixing genres is a hard sell to begin with, and it's imperative that the filmmaker have a definite vision going into such an undertaking; Spike Jonze did with "Being John Malkovich" (from which this film borrows the concept, as well as the context, of the "time portal,") and was successful. Mangold, however, failed to realize such a vision, and the moment passed him by.

As the Duke, Hugh Jackman gives a convincing performance, complete with a passable British accent. And you have to give Jackman credit for constantly striving to expand his horizons artistically; he's done science fiction ("X-Men"), romantic comedy ("Someone Like You"), action/thriller ("Swordfish") and now this, which is different still. Also to his credit, he's done well in them all. With such a diverse resume, he's already demonstrated his versatility and ability as an actor, and add to that the fact that he has a definite screen presence, and you know-- without a doubt-- that you're looking at a "star" who is only just beginning his ascent, the kind who will bring more than "celebrity" to whatever role he takes on. Definitely an actor of whom we will be seeing a lot more.

Meg Ryan is a versatile actor, as well, who can do drama (she was outstanding in "When A Man Loves A Woman"), or action/drama ("Proof of Life"), but her forte is romantic comedy ("Sleepless In Seattle," "You've Got Mail"). As Kate, however, she gets caught up in her character with the same misdirection that characterizes this entire film. On one hand, Kate is sweet and perky (traits upon which Ryan has successfully capitalized elsewhere), but there is also a more jaded side to Kate, the businesswoman striving to get ahead (More like Diane Keaton's J.C. in "Baby Boom"), and these two sides of Kate's personality, rather than making her a complex character, simply do not seem to gel, and at times the demands of the way in which the character is written takes it's toll on credibility; and in a story like this, the one thing you absolutely need is believable characters, people you can accept as presented. And there are too many moments in which the side Ryan is attempting to convey seems forced. I hasten to add that it is not entirely her fault; the character is poorly written, and Mangold did not serve his star well. It goes back to the vision of the director. A Nora Ephron, for example, knows how to get the best out of someone like Ryan, whereas Mangold simply does not.

Turning in notable performances in supporting roles are Liev Schreiber, another gifted actor who has yet to have his day in the spotlight (he has one of the best voices in the business, so effective in his terrific portrayal of Orson Welles in "RKO 281"); and Breckin Meyer, convincing as Kate's actor brother, Charlie.

The supporting cast includes Natasha Lyonne (Darci), Bradley Whitford (J.J.), and Philip Bosco (Otis). The anticipation for this film was high, but ambiguous direction and lack of definition causes "Kate and Leopold" to misfire at just about every turn. Ryan, Jackman, Schreiber and Meyer deserve better than this, and so does the audience. The magic just isn't there.

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