Cast: Stephen Dillane, Victoria Foyt, Vanessa Redgrave, Glynis Barber, Michael Brandon, Anna Massey,
Noel Harrison
Director: Henry Jaglom
Producer: John Goldstone
Screenplay: Henry Jaglom & Victoria Foyt
Cinematography: Hanania Baer
Music: Gaili Schoen
U.S. Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Is there such a thing as love at first sight? It's a question that cynics and romantics have debated endlessly for as long as there has been a common language. Film maker Henry Jaglom (Last Summer in the Hamptons, who is known for his languidly-paced, verbose movies, is obviously a believer, and he uses his latest work, Deja Vu, as a platform to examine not only the phenomenon of love at first sight, but the consequences of accepting it, and the role that fate and coincidence play in all of our lives.
As in all of Jaglom's films, the characters spend a great deal of time sitting around and talking, and their conversations are paradoxically about both something and nothing. These scenes, with the ensemble cast gathered together and rattling off Jaglom's lines with seeming ease, are among the best the film has to offer. The centerpiece of Deja Vu features four couples chatting after dinner, telling stories of life, love, Katherine Hepburn, and "The White Cliffs of Dover."
Deja Vu opens in Tel Aviv, where Dana (Victoria Foyt), an American, is making purchases for her business. There, in a café, she meets an elderly woman (Aviva Marks), who tells her a sad story of love, then leaves a pin of great sentimental value in Dana's possession before disappearing. Knowing the woman's approximate address in Paris, Dana flies there, and, while in a jewelry shop, she spots Sean (Stephen Dillane, last seen as the lead in Welcome to Sarajevo) for the first time. Their eyes lock and there is an immediate attraction. She soon encounters him again, this time in Dover, and they speak, acknowledging the difficult-to-fathom electricity that exists between them. It's an uncomfortable situation, because he is married and she is engaged. Nevertheless, he offers to drive her to London and she accepts. Once there, they discover that they're both staying at the same house for the weekend.
There are so many coincidences in Deja Vu that the plotline has an artificial feel to it, as if every action is choreographed to serve a purpose or emphasize a point. In many films, so many contrivances would wreck the drama, but since one of the primary themes of Deja Vu relates to the mysterious working of fate to bring men and women together, Jaglom's approach makes perfect sense. By the end of the movie, when the script reveals one final twist, we're no longer surprised; it's a fitting way to bring closure to the situation.
Most people will acknowledge that there are two kinds of love – one that is instantaneous, passionate, and undeniable, and one that is comfortable, controlled, and companionable. Many of us search for the former but find the latter. Jaglom's contention is that everyone has a soul mate and that we are all given one opportunity to start a life with that person. It is, as Sean puts it, "like one of those moments that if you turn the wrong way, you regret it forever." Another character, played by Vanessa Redgrave, has a more straightforward approach – forget about the consequences and "jump into life." Deja Vu is about not losing the moment and daring to make the right choice, even when it hurts others. For Sean and Dana to be together, they must shatter their safe lives and enter into uncharted territory. Such actions are frightening, but perhaps not as frightening as the possibility of their living apart from one another.
While Deja Vu is an intellectual triumph that offers fodder for lengthy after-movie conversations, its success on an emotional level is uncertain. The main problem is Victoria Foyt, who is, at best, adequate as an actress. Her performance as Dana is wildly uneven, and there are many times when she is unable to speak a line of dialogue convincingly or express herself without going over the top. Everyone else in the cast is solid – Steven Dillane, Anna Massey (as the woman of the house where everyone spends the weekend), Vanessa Redgrave (as a houseguest), Glynis Barber (as Sean's wife), and Michael Brandon (as Dana's fiancé) – but Foyt, who is married to the director and co-wrote the screenplay, is in over her head. Perhaps that's the reason that the ensemble scenes work so well – because she is forced to bear less of the burden than in her one-on- one scenes with Dillane. I wondered how much more affecting this movie might have been with a Susan Sarandon or Annette Bening as the lead female.
Nevertheless, my quibbles about Foyt's casting aside, I enjoyed Deja Vu because it made me think, remember, and consider the appealing notion that there is someone out there for each of us. In some ways, I was reminded of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, where fate brings two young lovers together for an incredible night in Vienna. Both films are talky, thought-provoking, and incredibly romantic. And, like Deja Vu, Before Sunrise is about the instantaneous attraction that results when two perfectly-matched individuals connect. Deja Vu is for romantics, not cynics, and those who pooh-pooh the notion of love at first sight may find Jaglom's approach hard to swallow. For the rest of us, however, it's a hopeful look at a philosophy that is wonderful to mull over, and even more pleasant to believe in.
© 1998 James Berardinelli