Customer Reviews

Alex & Emma (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

After reading the mixed reviews, we were very pleasantly surprised by this movie. Luke Wilson is cast as Alex, a novelist who is unable to fulfill his contract with his publisher (Rob Reiner) due to writer's block. His task suddenly assumes a great deal of urgency when two enforcers pay him a visit and give him a deadline of thirty days to pay off a gambling debt of $100,000 or be killed. Since they torched his computer during their appearance, he decides to dictate the story to Emma, a stenographer played by Kate Hudson. This also allows him to concentrate on the creative task confronting him, although a fair amount of the comedy involves her commentary on his efforts.

The novel is a 1924 tale involving Adam Shipley (also played by Luke Wilson), an Andover student who takes a summer job tutoring the children of Polina Delacroix (Sophie Marceau). The situation quickly becomes the classic story of a love triangle , with Polina faced with the dilemma of having chosen to marry for money but meanwhile increasing attracted to Adam. As Adam schemes how to become wealthy, his infatuation for Polina keeps him from recognizing his attraction for the various incarnations of her servant (the character keeps morphing as the story is rewritten), so Kate Hudson becomes the Swede Ylva, then the German Elsa, followed by the Spaniard Eldora before ending up as the American Anna. This is all done in a very clever and lighthearted manner.

Meanwhile, the novel's scenes are interspersed with the development of the relationship betwen Alex and Emma during their increasing frantic attempt to meet the Alex's deadline. And not at all surprisingly, their real lives intersect with the plotline of the novel. Emma increasingly wonders if there is a real life Polina? Why is Alex as afraid of commitment as his characters? The cast gives the movie just the right feel, and Rob Reiner does a great job as both producer and director as well as in his small but crucial supporting role. There is enough time for the story to develop, but the various elements of the story aren't stretched out unnecessarily.

This is a very clever, quite funny film. The humor is often low key (as in the instance of the law firm and its partners), rather than the slapstick hilarity that occasions raucous laughter. Thus, when not actually laughing we were almost constantly smiling. The key point is that the story and the techniques that are used to tell it work well in my estimation, rather than seeming to be forced into service to tell the story. I truly enjoyed the multiple roles played by Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson and their various romantic entanglements. It was especially fun to see Ms. Hudson alternate between Emma and her serial incarnations as Ylva, Elsa, Eldora, and Anna. And much to my surprise, the ending was a perfect conclusion to both the novel and the film.

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some movies deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what a flick should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: Guys owes loan sharks money that he lost while gambling. If he writes his second novel in 30 days his publisher will pay him allowing him to pay off loan sharks. He hires a stenographer to write while he dictates his novel.

MY FEEDBACK:
I thought this was an underrated movie.

The humor in the Italian Job (an action flick?!?) was actually better and had more of it, but the parts that were meant to be humorous were funny. Some of the humor people won't catch unless they are listening and looking closely...nice subtle details inlaid within the movie.

This was more of a drama than a comedy which I can see some people not liking it as much since expectations won't be met.

The feelings that develop between the two characters seemed a lot more belieable than any other romantic comedy I can think of over the last year or two.

For those that are writers, they will get an extra enjoyment out of the movie that many viewers might miss or not appreciate.

OVERALL:
It was a very well written flick with sproadic bits of humor and a lot more commentary on people who are challenged in relationships. Even if you aren't a writer this is worth watching at least once.

I liked this movie. I liked the low-key tempo, I liked the easy familiarity of both the actors and their characters, and I liked how their relationship in real life was reflected by the characters in the book. I especially liked that both actors, and their characters were so likable that it was like sitting down for an hour-and-a-half with some old friends and just relaxing.

This was never meant to be An Officer and a Gentleman or Casablanca. This wasn't a story about histrionics and/or sparks flying. This was meant to be, and is, a story about two people with flaws, who find them to be complimentary. You can see it in the way they immediately fall into an old relationship pattern of taking shots at one another, criticising each other, but not taking it too seriously, rather passing it off as just them being them. You also see it in the way they continue to write or talk to each other as they use the toilet, eat, etc.

The changing relationship can be most clearly seen (from Alex's viewpoint) in the changing of the characters Kate Hudson plays in the book - from the (pain in the a**) au pair Ylva, to the interested confidant Elsa (both deliberately overacted by Kate to indicate Alex's current vision of her), to the absolutely adorable Anna, the love interest. And, of course Emma is very defensive of these characters throughout, thereby revealing her feelings about Adam/Alex. This is validated in the final scene as Alex/Emma interchange with Adam/Anna, personally and in time.

Not every movie has to leave you breathless, crying, hyped - whatever. Some, like this one, are just meant to be enjoyed, and leave you relaxed and feeling good. There's no harm in that - I've spent far more time and money for far less return.

The ultimate message here is that you don't necessarily have to stop chasing your dream, just be sure it's the RIGHT dream.

This film is so romantic and great. It's on my top 10 list of most romantic romance comedy movies. Kate's character is most likeable. Her acting is way better then in her acting in previous other movies I saw her in. If you like romantic comedy movies give this a try, but if I were you, I'd rent it or something before you decide to actually buy it. I'm sorry if this review wasn't helpful.

Between the money-thirsty but dazzling Polina (Sophie Marceau) and the pleasant, down-to-earth Anna (Kate Hudson), what should a penniless Adam (Luke Wilson) do? This was the plot about which Alex (Luke Wilson) the author wrote a book in 30 days. His stenographer Emma (Kate Hudson), who liked a book only if the ending pleased her, often protested and steered Alex's story in the right direction.

As the plot of the book materialised, Emma's affection for Alex grew just as Adam's relationship with Anna blossomed in the book. But then Emma gradually suspected that Alex drew on his own experiences in writing and dreaded the threat of Polina, Alex's dream lover, in real life. Moreover, would the book's fruitless ending of the love triangle bear any reflection on Alex's attitude of shunning intimate relationships?

A simple plot this was. All three characters got to play dual characters - in the book and in real life. But Rob Reiner, the director(When Harry met Sally) juggled tactfully between the book's characters and Alex-Emma dialogue, making the development crisp and sharp. He also played a substantial part in the movie. Kate Hudson played superbly as a die-hard romantic - lovable, opined, decisive and non-compromising. The surprise was the dazzling beauty of Sophie Marceau, both in the book's character and as Alex's ex-lover who showed up in the end for a possible reunion. But what held this movie together was the carefully crafted words of the book, sweetened by Luke Wilson's clear and enlightening voice. Surely, the ending was predictable; yet witnessing the birth of a book, from beginning to end, with a rewritten ending somehow injected dynamicism and creative process in the movie. Not a romantic comedy of actions, big emotional ups and downs. Rather it is for those who appreciate romance in subtlety. Quite refreshing.

If I had to choose just one word to describe this movie, it would be bittersweet. Alex Sheldon, played by Luke Wilson, is a somewhat struggling author. He is young, single, and attractive - but being hounded by the Cuban mob to pay back a loan he foolishly took from them. How anyone can lose $50,000 betting on the dog races is beyond me, but then to find out he also lost an additional $75,000 of his own cash is totally astounding! So the loan sharks want their money, plus interest, totaling $100,000. The only way Alex can procure the cash is to finish his novel.

Suffering from a writer's block on the first sentence, he lies to the loan sharks with baseball bats who have come to give him a friendly reminder. When the lie is discovered, they torch his laptop. Really intelligent criminals we have here... destroy the means of making the money! In desperation Alex requests a stenographer from a company under false pretences, and Emma Dinsmore, portrayed by Kate Hudson, is brought into the picture. Finding the circumstances of her employment to be a complete lie, she is about to leave, but Alex convinces her to stay.

As Alex dictates the novel, Emma adds her two cents constantly, actually helping him with her quirky thoughts and ideas. As the fictional Adam Shipley (Luke Wilson) falls in love with his employer, the beautiful Polina Delacroix (Sophie Marceau), he strings along the "au pair" (Kate Hudson) who is a difficult character for Alex to settle on. At first she is Swedish, then German, and finally, American. The novel takes form and begins to heat up, and so does a growing relationship between writer and stenographer. Spending so much time so tightly connected to one another, it would be difficult not to begin to feel something.

Sadly, the novel and real life begin to echo one another and love may be lost in reality as well as in fiction. The pressure is on, only 30 days to write the novel, from beginning to end. Struggling with personal issues and trying to win over Emma, Alex dances to a fairly predictable plot, however, there are a number of twists that will keep you guessing and wondering.

This script is a brilliant piece of work in my mind. There is so much to be found, both in the blatant and the subtle, one almost has to see it again to catch everything. I found myself laughing a number of times, and almost groaning in sympathy in a few places. As you jump back and forth between the novel's plot and the reality of Alex and Emma, you find yourself caught up in the twists and turns and amazement at how reality mimics fiction, or vice-versa, so closely.

Rob Reiner did a great job of directing, and was perfect in his role as Alex's publisher. The writers all have wonderful senses of humour as this script has proven. This is definitely a romantic comedy that will leave you feeling good!

Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com

Well for a start "Alex & Emma" is a very different movie compared to most of what we are seeing today. It follows a problem Alex Sheldon, an author who has debt, has. He must come up with $100000 by 30 days. Now he meets Emma and makes her a stenographer (after lots of sarcastic comments and so-called seduction). As he dictates and she types they form a story toghether and make objections and alterations from each others advice. This movie has 2 plots one which follows Alex and Emma writing the story and the other follows the story they are coming up with. This movie is original (like nothing you have seen)but may not shine for people as it is very hard to adapt to 2 stories and the story someties includes things that dont need to be included. Afterall i give this movie three and a half out of five.

The irony here is that it takes a READER to truly appreciate this film. If you didn't like this movie, try picking up a book once in a while.

"People get hurt in books. People get hurt in real life." - Alex

Not necessarily a statement to knock your socks off, but it pretty much gives you the gist of what the movie is about.

Alex is your typical single guy. His career is at a standstill because of a bad case of writer's block but if he doesn't get his creative juices flowing he can't pay the gambling debts he owes to the two bruisers that rough him up. Enter Emma, a stenographer looking for work, who finds Alex in his apartment, which he advertised as a law office so that he could seem respectable. She's miffed by his misrepresentation but after a few witty exchanges, she takes the job. Throw in more of their interchanges whilst writing the book that mirrors Alex's real life, show what that mirror looks like in terms of early 20th century (or late 19th?) scenery, costuming, characters, etc. and, bang, you have the makings of a romantic comedy.

I did like "Alex and Emma" and felt that Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson did have an on-screen chemistry. However, the movie fell pretty flat for me after awhile. I chuckled at some of the dialogue and liked when Alex asks the question "Have you ever done your own laundry?" and it means more than what you think it does. However, I basically felt like I could have spent an hour and a half doing something else instead. For me "Alex and Emma" is not on my re-watch list.

This movie has got to be the worst movie of 2003--the acting is terrible - the movie is slow and boring--I only saw it because it was the movie being shown during my air flight to Hawaii and the 2 yr old kid in the seat behind me was crying loud and screaming during the 5 hr flight and I needed the ear phones to drown it out--My question is: Who ever thought that Kate Hudson could act? She has got to be one of the worse actors around--no emotion-no thought-whatever-she is the same in every movie I have seen her in--terrible--My suggestion is avoid this movie at all costs-even for rental-you will be glad you did.