Danny Boyle directed A Life Less Ordinary, a romantic black comedy, written by John Hodge, and starring Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, Ian Holm and Dan Hedaya.
The plot follows two angels (Hunter and Lindo) sent to Earth to help make a disgruntled kidnapper (McGregor) and his hostage (Diaz) fall in love.
In Heaven, angels are tasked with ensuring that mortals on Earth find love. The “Captain”, Gabriel, is upset at reviewing the file of angel partners O’Reilly and Jackson, all of whose recent cases have ended in divorce or misery. He introduces a radical new incentive: if their latest case isn’t “cracked” – meaning, if the pair in question do not fall, and stay, in love, O’Reilly and Jackson must stay on earth forever, which does not appeal to them.
Celine Naville is the spoiled twenty-something daughter of a wealthy businessman. When one of her suitors, a loathsome dentist named Elliott, proposes marriage to her, she offers to say yes, but only if he agrees to reenact “William Tell” with an apple on his head. As she takes aim with a pistol, Elliot’s nerves fail.
Robert Lewis is a janitor in the basement of Celine’s father’s company. His manager tells him he is to be replaced by a robot. As he drowns his sorrows at a local bar, his girlfriend, Lily tells him she is leaving him for an aerobics instructor.
O’Reilly and Jackson pose as collection agents to repossess Robert’s things and evict him from his apartment. Robert storms to the office of Mr Naville. Security guards run in and start to attack Robert but he holds them off. When Celine introduces herself, Robert decides to kidnap her. He drives her to a remote cabin in the California woods. Celine easily slips free but decides to stick around. She stays for the adventure and revenge against her father, suggesting that they extort a huge ransom.
O’Reilly and Jackson pose as bounty hunters, and contract with Naville to retrieve Celine and kill Robert. Robert’s first attempt to collect the ransom fails but Celine encourages him. They go out to a bar. When Robert wakes up the next morning, he is stunned to see that he and Celine have slept together.
Robert makes second demand for the ransom, with a letter written in Celine’s blood. Naville gives O’Reilly and Jackson the money, and they go to meet Robert in the forest. To their disappointment, Robert appears willing to let Celine go in exchange for the money before O’Reilly stops his getaway.
While O’Reilly and Celine wait by their car, Jackson takes Robert into the woods to execute him. Before he can, Celine decks O’Reilly, runs into the woods, and knocks Jackson out with a shovel. As Robert and Celine drive away, O’Reilly grabs the towbar and rides along. As she points her gun, Robert and Celine jump from the car, and it careens off a cliff, with the money still inside.
Short of money, Celine decides to rob a bank with Jackson’s pistol. The robbery goes smoothly, until a security guard shoots at Celine. Robert pushes her out of the way, taking a bullet in the thigh. Celine hurriedly drives him back to the city, to be operated on by Elliot. A little later, when Robert regains consciousness, he is appalled to see Celine playing a sleazy sexual role-playing game with Elliott. A fight breaks out, and Robert knocks Elliot unconscious. As they drive away, Celine explains that she only agreed to Elliot’s request so that he would help Robert. Hurt, Robert gets out of the car and walks away.
To get them back together, Jackson writes a love poem in Robert’s handwriting and sends it to Celine.
Gabriel frees O’Reilly and Jackson from a pair of body bags. After Gabriel congratulates them on a successful case, the two angels embrace and prepare to return home.
Robert and Celine retrieve the suitcase with money and settle in their new castle in Scotland.
The film received mixed reviews and was unsuccessful at the box office, only grossing $14.6 million against its $12 million budget.
Boyle takes an outsiders’ take on America that adds to its humor as do homages to other movies (The Road Warrior, Reservoir Dogs, Raiders of the Lost Ark).
However, the plot is rather messy and unfocused, ultimately telling a story that’s too contrived.
The cast is intriguing cast and stylish work from director Boyle, but they’re not enough to overcome the story’s uneven tone. Some episodes are saccharine, and the ending could be stronger.
Recycling:
The film was serialized as comic strip within leading British comic 2000 AD, adapted by then-editor David Bishop and drawn by Steve Yeowell.
Cast
Ewan McGregor as Robert Lewis
Cameron Diaz as Celine Naville
Holly Hunter as O’Reilly
Delroy Lindo as Jackson
Ian Holm as Naville
Dan Hedaya as Gabriel
Stanley Tucci as Elliot Zweikel
Maury Chaykin as Tod Johnson
Tony Shalhoub as Al
K.K. Dodds as Lily
Ian McNeice as Mayhew
Christopher Gorham as Walt
Timothy Olyphant as Hiker
