We want our movies to cover new ground. Going to see a movie that only achieves what others have done before is like seeing a rerun of a television show where your favorite characters have been replaced by strangers. It’s admittedly difficult to create something truly original - to connect to an audience in a new way - but Chaos Theory does this in leaps and bounds.
Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) is an efficient man. He lives his life by making to-do lists and completing them, checking off each moment as a task to finish and sharing his methods in corporate speaking events. One morning, his wife Susan (Emily Mortimer) sets the clocks so that he’s ten minutes behind schedule, and the shift creates a chain of events that drastically changes his career and his relationships with his wife, daughter (Matrya Fedor) and best friend Buddy (Stuart Townsend).
As with most good movies, a synopsis doesn’t do it justice. It seems on the surface as the classic tale of a stuffy guy who learns to let go and live life to the fullest, but Chaos Theory just isn’t as happy as all that. It isn’t a story of a man having a mid-life crisis while the audience laughs along at his antics. It is the story of a man who learns things specific to his life that the audience can be shocked by and that he can hopefully rise above. But if even if things turn out alright, no one is going to be walking into the sunset at the end.
Chaos Theory shines by breathing new life into the classic story concept of a man frustrated by his life. It gives an equal spotlight to the sweet, humorous moments and decimating failings of true family life - displaying marital flirtation and fatherly love alongside hurt feelings and slamming doors. This is only made possible because the writing from screenwriter Daniel Taplitz is strong, and because Ryan Reynolds commands the scene whether he’s making you laugh or breaking down.
The acting is incredibly solid throughout. Emily Mortimer plays well as a loving, dynamic wife who has to swing between reactionary to active force in the ride that her husband is going through. Likewise, Stuart Townsend plays a nebulously likable best friend who flirts openly with Frank’s wife, but has his back when things get rough. Of course the lynch pin is Reynolds himself who is flawless the entire film.
Once again, this isn’t a movie about a man who gets bored with his job and his married life and buys a Harley. It’s a movie about a man who has to deal with real emotional issues that blindside him, creating a deep rift between him and his wife - so he buys a Harley. He also contemplates suicide, goes mostly insane and contemplates offing his best friend with a shotgun. Elements you won’t see in the typical light-hearted mid-life crisis affair. But even with those elements, Chaos Theory never gets that dark (the scene where he buys the shotgun is especially funny). Think Stranger Than Fiction without the gimmick. Think Liar Liar with more depth and less wacky.
Unfortunately, it is only playing in select cities, opening this weekend (April 11th), but if you’re anywhere near the cities listed below, I’d urge you to make the trip to see this movie. It’s definitely worth it.
The Upside: Ryan Reynolds seamlessly goes from neurotic to funny to desperate to elated to destructive and back again. His range is amazing to watch.
The Downside: There isn’t much wrong with it - a few lines that seem out of place maybe, but for the most part, the movie keeps you guessing and wallowing along with Frank.
On the Side: Fanboys will enjoy that director Marcos Siega has directed episodes of “Veronica Mars” and “Dexter”.
Chaos Theory opens in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle and Dallas.
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《混沌理论》影评
我们希望我们的电影涉及新的领域。去看一场在别人已涉足的领域成功的电影就像看一部最喜欢的角色被陌生人取代的电视剧。无可否认的是，创造全新的东西——即以一种新方式与观众沟通，着实困难。但是《混沌理论》却飞跃性地做到了。
弗兰克·艾伦（瑞安·雷诺兹饰）是一个讲究高效率的人。他靠制订并完成工作清单，将每一分钟该做的事情都记录下来，并在公众发言中分享他的方法来谋生。一天早上，他的妻子苏珊（艾米莉·莫迪默饰）将他的钟调快了十分钟，这个举动给他的工作、他和妻子、女儿（马齐亚·菲多饰）以及最好的朋友布迪（斯图尔特·汤森饰）之间的关系来了灾难性的变化。
和大多数的优秀电影一样，内容提要并不能恰如其分地将其表现出来。表面上看，这是一个传统的故事，描述了一个学习放弃和充分享受生活的古板男子的故事。但《混沌理论》并非完全如此轻松。它不是一个让观众一路为其滑稽而发笑的处于中年危机的男子的故事。这是一个让观众为之震撼的男子的故事，他认识到自己的生活中特有的东西并满怀希望去超越。但是如果事情发展顺利，就没人会最终步入晚年了。
《混沌理论》因给一个被生活所挫败的男子的传统故事内容注入新的活力而超群出众。它通过表现夫妻间的情爱和父爱关注真实家庭生活中甜蜜和谐的瞬间，同时通过情感伤害和摔门而去聚焦使其严重毁坏的缺陷。这只有因为剧作家丹尼尔·塔力兹的剧本足够出色，以及马科斯·西恩加操纵着让人发笑或流泪的场景才能成真。
贯穿全片的表演精湛得令人难以置信。艾米莉·莫迪默饰演一位可爱、积极同时不得不在丈夫前进的道路上来回转换于反动分子和积极动力角色之间的妻子。同样，斯图尔特·汤森饰演一个貌似讨人喜欢的好友，他公开与弗兰克的妻子调情，但当事情变得混乱时，他退出了。当然，整部影片的核心人物是完美的瑞安·雷诺兹。
再度重申，这不是一部关于一个厌倦了工作、已婚妻子还买了哈雷摩托的男子的电影。这是一部关于一个不得不处理出其不意席卷了他的真实感情问题、弥合与妻子间的裂痕而买了哈雷摩托的男子的电影。他考虑过自杀，近乎精神失常，甚至想过用猎枪杀了他最好的朋友。这是在典型轻松的中年危机事件中所不会看到的东西。但即使有了这些元素，《混沌理论》也不会这般阴郁（他买猎枪的场景就特别有趣）。看一下《奇幻人生》里就没有这样的招数。而《大话王》较有深度而搞怪较少。
遗憾的是，影片只在选定的城市上映并于这周末首映。但是如果你住在下列城市附近，我竭力主张你前去观看。那确实值得一看。
优点：瑞安·雷诺兹连贯流畅地从忙碌不暇转换到神经过敏进而滑稽可笑再到孤注一掷继而极具破坏性最后恢复原状。他的变化过程使人看着大为惊叹。
不足：影片错误并不多——也许有些台词不恰当，但影片的绝大部分会让你捉摸不透并随着弗兰克身陷其中。
另外：星战迷友们将能欣赏到导演马科斯·西恩加指导的一段电视系列节目《火星上的维罗尼卡》和《德克斯特》。
《混沌理论》将在以下城市公映：洛杉矶、纽约、旧金山、多伦多、芝加哥、费城、波士顿、华盛顿、西雅图、达拉斯。