Cast: Craig Ferguson, Ian Hart, Jane Horrocks, Adrian Lester, Catherine McCormack, Jimi Mistry, David Morrissey, Olivia Williams
Director: David Kane
Producer: Michele Camarda
Screenplay: David Kane
Cinematography: Robert Alazraki
Music: Simon Boswell
U.S. Distributor: United Artists
The light, frothy, and likeable Born Romantic is from theater and TV director David Kane (who has made motion pictures before, none of which have been released on this continent). He has gathered a reasonably high profile cast for this project, including such notable names as Craig Ferguson, Ian Hart, Jane Horrocks, Adrian Lester, Catherine McCormack, Olivia Williams, Jimi Mistry, and David Morrissey. Born Romantic essentially tells three loosely connected romantic stories set against the backdrop of a salsa club that is visited by all of the principals.
Fergus (Morrissey) is an ex-musician who is scouring London for his One True Love (Jane Horrocks), a woman he jilted eight years ago. Eddie (Mistry), an inept thief, unexpectedly falls for shy Jocelyn (McCormack), who has a fetish for morbidity. And Frankie (Ferguson) is hot for the aloof Eleanor (Williams), who seems to have no interest in him whatsoever. In the background are a group of cab divers who act almost like a Greek chorus, offering differing opinions on such diverse subjects as life, love, and blowjobs.
Kane keeps things moving, and it doesn't hurt that there's a great deal of lively salsa music to elevate the energy level. All of the characters are affable; it's virtually impossible not to wish for them to hook up with their soul mates. The screenplay is a shade smarter than that of the average romantic comedy, and there are plenty of funny lines and scenes. And, unlike in many British films, Kane doesn't seek any dark tangents for his characters to explore. This is a straightforward film - enjoyable and fresh, but not terribly deep.
© 2001 James Berardinelli