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Starring Penelope Cruz, et al. Released to DVD on October 26, 1999. ![[Photo]](/photos/twiceuponayesterday.jpg) If you think about it, fate and destiny are pretty big concepts. There are so many different choices you could make in a given day-so many different opportunities for failure, some might argue-trying to figure out how you got to where you are in life and why you are at that particular destination can be both intriguing and perplexing. One of the limitations of life though, is that these questions, and the ever present "what if" question, simply cannot be answered; if you choose a certain path on which to travel, you'll never have the opportunity to go back and see what would have happened had you taken a different route. Such is the nature of regrets. Fiction and cinema aren't trapped within the same linear confines of time and logic of life as we are, which often proves a wonderful starting point for thought-provoking and entertaining movies, Sliding Doors being the obvious exception to that statement. Originally and quizically titled The Man with Rain in his Shoes, Twice Upon a Yesterday is the story of Victor "Vic" Bukowski (Douglas Henshall), an out-of-work actor, enormously depressed about the fact that Sylvia (Lena Headey), his girlfriend of six years, has left him upon hearing that he had had an affair. After analyzing his situation numerous times, in many different bars, drinking a wide array of alcoholic beverages, Vic is in a great period of depression, realizing that the only solution to his problem with Sylvia is to go back in time and lie to her about his wandering eye. Then Vic gets his wish. Having seen material such as this on several made-for-TV, Hallmark Family Specials as well as in countless pieces of Hollywood schlock, I naturally assumed that Vic would re-enter his life, fix his mistake and live happily ever after. However, it came as a delightful surprise to find that Twice Upon a Yesterday's screenwriter, Rafa Russo, had other plans for Vic in mind. With the somewhat recent stagnation of creativity in feature films, original material has become a selling point in and of itself; Being John Malkovich is a perfect example of this. And, if nothing else, Twice Upon a Yesterday is just that: a wondrously imaginative, romantic comedy that both engages and entertains you. As Vic 'solves' his problem by failing to mention to Sylvia that he had cheated on her, he faces a new and somewhat more harrowing and heart breaking problem: despite his renewed and reinvigorated efforts in their relationship, Sylvia has become attracted to and involved with another man. Faced with this "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, Vic is more distraught than he was before his wish was granted. Left wondering what a man is to do, he stumbles upon the lovely Louise (Penelope Cruz). What sets this film apart from the standard Nora Ephron-like romantic comedies that have taken over the market during the last few years, was Russo and first time director Maria Ripoll's continual focus on fate and how very minor things play a major role in your everyday life. Personally, I am fascinated with the idea of fate-thinking about and exploring this topic often allows you to come to new understandings about yourself-and watching Russo and Ripoll delve into the way we live our lives, and to what effect this has on the lives of those around us was most interesting. When weaving stories that deal with elements of destiny, most screenwriters find it hard to both make an intelligent point, and tie up most of the loose ends. First time scripter Russo does an excellent job in these respects, while also creating a genuinely likeable character base to boot. It is something of a rarity to find a film that can boast an agreeable and eclectic group of characters, but Russo took this one step farther in his script, working hard to create a monopoly of warm, charming characters. Quite simply, there were no bad guys in this script. Initially, I found myself stand offish toward Vic-his adultery proved to be a sore point, since those men who cheat on their girlfriends or wives don't necessitate the same kind of respect as, say, Mother Teresa-but as the film progressed, my opinion of Vic changed. This was due, in no small part, to Henshall's delightful comic performance as Vic. As I gained a more intimate knowledge of Vic's character, I came to see that the affair was the direct result of Vic's being in a bad place--out of work and depressed--than as a sign that he was afraid of commitment or monogamy. Headey and Cruz were excellent in their supporting roles as well, playing the somewhat fed-up ex-love interest and new girlfriend respectively. While Cruz has been getting an enormous amount of press for her star turn in the upcoming All the Pretty Horses, it was Headey who showed the most range in Twice Upon a Yesterday, with her personality ranging from docile to acerbic as the screenplay called for it. Twice Upon a Yesterday was an unexpected romantic gem.
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