TWICE UPON A YESTERDAY
Reviewed by Harvey Karten, Ph.D. Trimark Pictures Director: Maria Ripoli Writer: Rafa Russo Cast: Lena Headey, Douglas Henshall, Penelope Cruz, Mark Strong, Charlotte Coleman, Elizabeth McGovern, Euselbo Lazaro, Gustavo Salmero
As the song "Yesterday" goes, "Why'd she have to go/ I don't know/ She wouldn't say./ I said something wrong/ Now I long for yesterday..." Who doesn't? If only we knew then what we know now, our mistakes would be corrected and life's mishaps would fall neatly into place. Or would they? Many philosophers and psychologists believe that given the basic character that each of us is stuck with, we'd make the same blunders all over again--kind of like the person who knows the smoking and overeating are bad for him but continues to indulge in both. Still, the opportunity to go back to the past to smooth out our bungles and fumbles is so tempting that a good many of us, given the choice, would opt for doing just that over winning the lottery. All of which makes the premise a fascinating one for the storytellers, including the Spanish team of Maria Ripoli, who directed "Twice Upon a Yesterday" and Rafa Russo who wrote the screenplay. Though magic realism comes into play, the film-- once called "The Man with Rain in His Shoes" and then named "If Only" before receiving the current title--does not have the sci-fi look. This film is for the most part not far from a conventional romantic comedy with dramatic overtones, whose characters are at once so thinly drawn and yet so irritating that at times you may be tempted to look away from the screen.
Take a look at the male lead, Douglas Henshall in the role of a Scottish 30-something who is so immature and exasperating that you'd have to look back to a character like Mari Hoff (Brenda Blethyn) in Mark Herman's movie "Little Voice," to uncover his equal. He acts in London's fringe theaters, is considered mediocre, and lives in a flat that is as untidy as he is unkempt. Sylvia Weld (Lena Headey) and he seem made for each other, given Sylvia's gamin-like demeanor and flighty behavior. Sylvia's best girl friend, Alison (Charlotte Coleman) is even worse: she spends much of her time advising Sylvia to dump the lad, putting him down as a mediocrity in every way who is entirely unsuitable for the likes of Sylvia, while for his part, Victor's best friend Dave (Mark Strong) deigns to counsel Victor on the ways of women while he himself hasn't a clue about how to connect with any one of their ilk.
When Sylvia discovers that Victor has been unfaithful to her (and Victor adds to injury to confessing that he loves another), Sylvia leaves him. Victor soon regrets what he has done and gets his chance to correct his misbehavior when two Spanish trash collectors sprung from the pages of Don Quixote kick him back a year or so, giving the hapless suitor the opportunity of a lifetime to make amends. In one of the two interesting twists to the tale, Victor finds that being on his best behavior cannot prevent similar disasters from taking place, while an even more arresting turn of events occurs in the final minute of the story--one which encourages us to debate over our post-cinema coffee how the situation will ultimately turn out.
On the whole, however, the movie has an awkward, first- draft feel because most of the characters are so silly or bland that caring about them is out of the question. Not that a film must have likeable personalities. "Goodbye, Lover," for example, features an unholy mess of evil people but the performers are so attractive, so strong and convincing, that we show concern for them despite their sinister temperaments. The one redeeming feature of "Twice Upon a Yesterday" is the lovely Spanish actress Penelope Cruz--who wowed lovers of art movies recently in the far more imaginative production "Open Your Eyes." As a bartender with more class than the rest of the cast combined, Ms. Cruz's Louise--the woman who gets the now-mature Victor's undivided attention--is the movie's compelling high point. On the whole, however, the film lacks the whimsy that fables must possess to realize their potential.
Rated R. Running Time: 96 minutes. (C) 1999 Harvey Karten
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