In the style of wacky runaway heiress or road buddies on the lam films a la Frank Capra, A Life Less Ordinary is a dark comedy that stretches the definition of funny. Director Danny Boyle's previous hits, e.g. Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, were morality tales with wit and style that defined the British cinema of the 90s. ALLO is not up to either wit or style in a rambling odd story of frustrated love. Ewan McGregor, an actor who is lively and dynamic in his two previous Boyle pictures never seems to find his character as Robert, a closet pulp fiction writer/janitor living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Robert's lack of Mr. Clean talent result in a ballistic impulse after he is fired and replaced by a bad R2D2 imitation robotic floor-sweeper. The target of his anger, the bratty daughter of the company owner.
Camerion Diaz as Celine is lovely in the role of a spoiled brat kidnapped by Robert, but the chemistry between the two actors never heats up the screen. Wacky heiress Celine can't sing or dance while the nebbish kidnapper sings and dances rings around her. Charming Robert can't threaten or write a convincing ransom letter, but Celine is such a harpy, her condesending and chrulishness towards Robert fail to exude any audience sympathy. Instead, it transfers to the overwhelmed kidnapper rather than the shrewish Celine.
Adding to the muddled storyline are two bumbling angels (Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo) whose divine task is to assure the mismatched pair fall in love. It is a subplot that distracts rather than adds to the story. If the plot sounded confused it is because Boyle never seemed to make up his mind what the kind of film he wanted to direct.
The stellar cast attempts to save their roles but are handicapped by a screenplay that never quite follows a recognizable genre. The American film debut of director Danny Boyle and producer Andrew MacDonald flounders under so many problems that ALLO is a comedy of errors, misdirection, and ambiguity that failed to entertain.
Camerion Diaz as Celine is lovely in the role of a spoiled brat kidnapped by Robert, but the chemistry between the two actors never heats up the screen. Wacky heiress Celine can't sing or dance while the nebbish kidnapper sings and dances rings around her. Charming Robert can't threaten or write a convincing ransom letter, but Celine is such a harpy, her condesending and chrulishness towards Robert fail to exude any audience sympathy. Instead, it transfers to the overwhelmed kidnapper rather than the shrewish Celine.
Adding to the muddled storyline are two bumbling angels (Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo) whose divine task is to assure the mismatched pair fall in love. It is a subplot that distracts rather than adds to the story. If the plot sounded confused it is because Boyle never seemed to make up his mind what the kind of film he wanted to direct.
The stellar cast attempts to save their roles but are handicapped by a screenplay that never quite follows a recognizable genre. The American film debut of director Danny Boyle and producer Andrew MacDonald flounders under so many problems that ALLO is a comedy of errors, misdirection, and ambiguity that failed to entertain.