I watched this with Rozl and Francis yesterday. Here's my $ 0.50 worth.
At the end of the movie, I could only think of one thing: the movie is unfair. Spoiler alert! Highlight to read. *wink*
[The movie starts with a typical day for couple Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ian (Paul Nicholls); or so they thought. Ian encounters an odd cab ride where the driver knows certain particulars about Ian and coaxed him into "appreciating" Samantha. At the end of the day, the couple breaks up over dinner, Samantha gets on a cab [the same cab Ian was on] and dies in a car crash. Ian dozes off that night hugging Samantha's diary [There's always someone in a relationship who loves more. God I hope it's not me].
Ian, still hugging the diary, awakens the next morning to Samantha saying "Read one word and I'll kill you." He was startled at first but brushed off the previous day as a dream, a deja vu. Little by little, the events in his "dream" followed through. After, finally, catching a pool cue ball with his left hand, he believed the "dream" wasn't a dream at all but a premonition. He looked for Samantha and was firm on giving her the best day of her life since in his premonition, it was her last. The movie concludes with the same scene in the hospital, only this time, instead of Ian weeping on a chair, Samantha was on the bed, bruised and weeping. Ian got in the cab with Samantha and saved her life.]
Most people would choose to die ahead of their loved one instead of mourning over their loved one's death. It's selfish in a way. Giving up one's life for another IS selfish. Ian confessed it himself. When asked by the cab driver, he answered he could never bear to live without Samantha. This statement alone implies that he would rather be dead than to live without her. Hence, in the end, he died to give Samantha her life. It was almost suicide because he knew the cab would be in a car crash.
The movie is unfair because Ian subjected Samantha to a lifetime of grief and guilt. Samantha would definitely never get over the trauma of the experience. Imagine, you boyfriend giving you the best day of your life and, then, dying at the end of it. Ian didn't tell Samantha that the aweful event of the day was, in fact, her death. She would only think that what Ian saw in his premonition of sorts was his own death.
On the other hand, the movie is anti-chauvinistic. It celebrates feminine strength and power. It shows that womyn are better in dealing with grief. The girl dying is such a tragedy to reverse and makes for an interesting plot while the guy dying makes for a good ending for a movie. It makes perfect sense, doesn't it?
However, I'd give the movie a 9 out of 10. Great script, amazing setting and smooth character execution. It's a movie. It's a film. Watch! Watch!
*.* as if! @ 11:48:00 AM • • RBJ
®fLoi enjoy 2005©