"Born Romantic" uses the revolving door approach to studying the relationships of a half dozen quirky characters and their romantic relationships which are in various states of disarray. Full of wry British humor, lots of salsa dancing, and with a cab driver playing a sort of "Dan Cupid" type, "Born Romantic" is considerably more clever than its recent American counterpart "Sidewalks of New York", although they are at different ends of the romantic comedy genre. A fun and funny watch for those who enjoy British films.
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CutUncut202116 May 2021As in his previous outing "Primary Colors" (1998), once again Adrian Lester (cab-driver Jimmy) provides the moral thread interconnecting the hapless antiheroes of this lightweight hokum, in which writer-director Kane fondly intertwines tales of failure love and rejection. Uneven and didactic, though typically multiethnic in British style, the diverse parts of this ensemble never quite gel into a glutinous whole, and in the finale our all-seeing widowed taxi-driver (an updated "Wonderful Life" Clarence-type) is sucked into the gummy extension of self-interest known as coupledom (note, not a single child in the entire story). Ironically, twenty years on, defending the solipsism of singlehood has been elevated to a form of high art.
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I rented this movie looking for a romantic comedy and knowing nothing about it other than it starred Craig Ferguson. I am a big fan of his, but this movie was not one that he should be proud to put on his resume! As another reviewer pointed out, there are too many subplots and not enough time to get into any of them. It was ninety minutes of drivel, truth be told. The only part that I enjoyed (which did not belong in the film one iota) was when Craig Ferguson sang in a nightclub accompanied by a band. He sounded great! While no single actor did a bad job, the material they had to work with was just subpar. Nothing fresh was done in the area of romantic comedies and the whole thing was just dull. Don't get this one! Get "Saving Grace" instead! Or "Greenfingers". Or "The Mean Machine". All 3 are in the new release section of your video store and are British movies that are much better.
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mrsmillstone20 July 2004This is a very enjoyable British budget film from David Kane. It probably would not win any awards but it really is a lot of fun. It contains a bunch of misfits all looking for love - they all have the local salsa club in common and the film takes place in and around this point. It has a great cast - none of them famous but all of them very well cast and you do care what happens to the characters (always a good sign)and the film is very funny. It also has a great soundtrack. If you like Latin American music and you enjoy a gentle comedy you this is a film for you! I would not hesitate to recommend this film and anything else from David Kane. If I had to give marks out of ten, it would score at least eight!
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ffilix26 August 2006I watched this on TV the other night on the strength of the cast, I thought all these actors wouldn't be in a film if it was not a good un and have a bit of a soft spot for Mr Mistry ever since East is East. It was a good way to spend a Monday night. I especially liked the bit where Frankie's estranged wife comes into the kitchen while he is trying to woo Eleanor. Jane Horrocks is at her gruesome best and did anyone notice that David Morrissey was repulsive in this film and I think he'd based himself on Fish. I just wish I had a salsa club near me. Last but not least...anyone who still manages to look alluring in a neck collar and a dodgy specs must truly be a beautiful woman..you know who you are!
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tovangar13 April 2005Sweet fluffy story about four mismatched but made for each other couples in London: A goofy Scotsman (the always entertaining Craig Fergusson) and a chilly art conservator; a melancholy habitué of a cemetery and a well-meaning thief; a bitter jilted woman and the remorseful man who left her at the altar eight years before; a cabbie (the omg gorgeous and super-talented Adrian Lester - you remember him, he was Henry in Primary Colors) who helps the other couples sort it out and finally finds his way clear to put his grief for his dead wife aside so he can embrace life (in the form of a very alive salsa teacher) once again.
This is all played out in the aforementioned cemetery, inside Lester's cab, the winterly streets and parks of London, a salsa club, Kings Cross Station, various crappy flats and the Elgin Marbles Hall at the British Museum.
If you're home with a cold and this comes on the telly watch it. -
burgessart16 July 2003Was absolutely delighted by everything about this movie. The characters are interesting and fun, the sound track captivating and the story simple, honest and very funny. The well selected cast create real magic making this a true "feel good" experience. Highly recommended (if you a romantic too).
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lingmeister21 December 2002The movie, Born Romantic, is about how three separate men, whom, under different circumstances, wanders into a Salsa club. They somehow meets and eventually gets the woman of their dreams. The men and woman they are courting all revolve around this cab driver, who picks them up on a regular basis. He listens in on their rants, griefs and sorrows, and when required, nudges the relationship forward. The cabbie himself has insights to the importance of love, but we eventually learn that he himself is troubled, not being able to move on from his own lost love. As to the three men, they evolve throughout the film, changing from going after the women to making the women want to be with them.
This whole film centers around the Salsa club, with a lot of seductive dancing, which is sort of what is used to form the closure for the movie.
All in all, a delightful film. -
jhclues5 August 2002A delightful British comedy involving three couples attempting to get together, `Born Romantic,' written and directed by David Kane, is a lighthearted, feel-good film set to a heartbeat, as well as a `Salsa' beat. It features a number of engaging performances, and offers a contemplation on life with moments that alternate between funny and poignant; enjoyable fare that leaves the `baggage' of the world behind for awhile to concentrate on the more personal, intimate aspects of what makes the world go round, and a pleasant diversion it is.
A cab driver, Jimmy (Adrian Lester), and a Salsa club are the binding threads of the story, through which the lives of the individual characters intersect. Mo (Jane Horrocks), jilted at the alter some eight years before by Fergus (David Morrissey), has moved on with her life, finding solace in men and the Latin rhythms of a local Salsa club. What she doesn't know is that Fergus, regretting that long ago decision, is back in town looking for her. Meanwhile, a somewhat passive petty thief named Eddie (Jimi Mistry), after a botched mugging ends up at the club, where he falls under the spell of a rather odd bird named Jocelyn (Catherine McCormack). Then there's Frankie (Craig Ferguson), who happens by the club where he meets Eleanor (Olivia Williams); but Frankie fancies himself a latter-day Dean Martin (`Did you see Ocean's Eleven?' he asks her at one point), and Eleanor is simply not having any of it. And it all becomes a series of ups-and-downs, ins-and-outs and highs-and-lows, as these six attempt to connect with (or avoid) one another. Along the way there is music and dancing, and without a doubt, love is in the air.
There are some subtle insights into human nature to be gleaned from this one, but mostly it's for fun and entertainment, a film that will put a smile on your face and occasionally cause you to take pause and perhaps reflect upon the state of things in your own life, as there are elements in the situations and characters depicted here that are no doubt going to hit close to home for many in the audience. To tell his story, Kane sets a brisk pace and never lets it lag, and his transitions between the storylines are executed perfectly, which gives the film a rhythm and flow that takes the viewer along with it. He has a terrific ensemble cast with which to work, and he makes the most of their talents, as evidenced by the succinct development of no less than seven characters, to the extent that you have a good grasp of who each of these individuals are and what makes them tick. And with a steady hand, Kane exacts the kind of performances that really brings it all to life.
As Frankie, the guy who tries so hard to be cool a la Dean Martin, Craig Ferguson hits the mark perfectly. If you were around in the days of the `real' Rat Pack, you no doubt knew this guy; he was the one with the affected smoothness, all the right moves (at least in his own mind) and the appropriate `nomenclature.' He could be fun for awhile, but any impression he made was mostly on himself. Happily, Ferguson captures the essence of that guy, but only the good parts. He manages to leave the boorish elements behind and opens up enough to let you see the `real' Frankie, who in reality is just a guy trying to get on with it and do the best he can. Coming off a bad marriage, he simply wants to find something (someone) good to share his life with. It's a good performance by Ferguson, who is probably best known as Mr. Wick on the `Drew Carey' television show.
Jane Horrocks (the phenomenal talent of `Little Voice') also gives a convincing performance, as does David Morrissey as Fergus. Together they make their situation believable, rather than a depiction of some ersatz fairy tale. The development of their relationship as they attempt to reconcile rings true, which makes the romantic angle all the more real and unaffected.
The most endearing couple of the bunch, however, is Jocelyn and Eddie, who prove that when it comes to romance, the odd and the eccentric will find each other, one way or another. Catherine McCormack is a delight as Jocelyn, a role that is decidedly unglamorous, but a character in which there is a unique charm nevertheless; one which McCormack finds and displays in a sensitive, sympathetic way that shines through from behind an (unattractive) pair of glasses, a neck brace and an introverted, introspective bearing. And it's touching to see Eddie, a misfit of the lowest order-- played perfectly by Mistry-- drawn to this quirky woman, in whom he is able to discern a beauty that is truly more than skin deep.
The most striking of all, however, is Eleanor, as played by Olivia Williams. Adopting a rather hardened exterior as a way of avoiding any real intimacy or commitment, Eleanor is something of a mystery woman, and Williams has a charismatic screen presence that sells it perfectly. Like Ferguson, she opens up just enough to let you see what lies beneath, and it adds a deeper perspective to her portrayal of Eleanor, and you come to understand why Frankie is drawn to her.
Finally, Adrian Lester is effective as Jimmy, the cab driver who bears the weight of a dramatic event in his own life, which is his secret alone. Jimmy is a pivotal character in the play, and Lester's portrayal lends some of the more poignant moments to the film.
Rounding out the cast are Ian Hart (Second Cab Driver), John Thomas (First Cab), Kenneth Cranham (Barney) and Louise Delamere (Maria). An upbeat story presented with music and a smile, `Born Romantic' offers a romantic interlude that cuts to the chase and leaves the baggage at the door; in all, it's a fun and satisfying experience. 8/10. -
If you like run-of-the-mill British romantic comedies a-la This Year's Love and Four Weddings and a Funeral, you'll like this film. There are no twists to confuse the less discerning cinema goer and plenty of famous (to British eyes) faces to make you feel warm and cosy.
The characters are easy to understand and not particularly deep, each with his or her own quirk. A number of storylines run in parallel, with the links between them being a taxi driver who routinely delivers them to and from a London salsa club. At various points throughout proceedings, John Thomson and Ian Hart appear in a greasy spoon, with Hart's character dishing out not-so-useful information on the fairer sex to the lovelorn Thomson. If nothing else, these two make the film worth watching.
All in all, a reasonable use of two hours of your life. -
trpdean16 August 2005I just rented this - a great mistake. There are some films that make you feel you're inside the mind of someone you loathe - I remember feeling this way watching Death Wish III, watching Ten Things You Know About Her, and watching this.
Romantic comedy needn't be terribly funny, have a plausible plot, create a believable hurdle for the two loves, or even have characters you believe should be together -- but it must have likable characters. If they aren't people you care for, it fails. This movie fails.
This movie asks us to root for three couples to get together: i) a sadly scared wallflower to get together with a man who mugs others daily (with chloroform, usually at an ATM), ii) a recently divorced man (yet another obsessed with the Rat Pack a la Swingers) to get together with a foul-mouthed mean-spirited vain woman, and iii) a third man who left his fiancée ten days before their wedding to get together with her now that she's become an ugly (and yet again) foul-mouthed tramp with a different unknown man each night who likes to put the strangers down for what she believes to be their sexual inadequacy.
It was difficult watching this not to feel sorry for the decline of movie-making in Britain. One can't help while watching this, thinking of the charm, the warmth, the intelligence, the grace of the characters in movies portrayed by such as Jean Simmons or Greer Garson, Anna Neagle or Deborah Kerr, Margaret Lockwood or Vivien Leigh, Celia Johnson or Sally Ann Howes, the Vanessa Redgrave of Morgan, or Camelot, or the Julie Christie of Billy Liar - in such films as Bank Holiday or Night Train to Munich, Waterloo Bridge or Stairway to Heaven, the Clouded Yellow or I See A Dark Stranger, one sees humor shown by people one likes - with charm and imagination and finely- written lines.
For decades now, British filmmakers have been afraid to create lovely female characters - except in period pieces. Only in those can we see sympathetic female lead characters - contemporary settings apparently require that we be served up deeply unsympathetic women and told to like them.
This filmmaker apparently believes that straightforward criminal behavior is a charming quirk, that degeneracy is gracious and humorous. It's sad - and will leave any viewer feeling like he wants a shower after the film ends. Despite yelling at the screen, "NO! RUN! RUN!" the movie brings these couples together for no reason other than to illustrate their suicidal tendency.
This is just a truly ugly and ignorant movie. At one point, the wallflower character says that it's a terrible pity that Britain doesn't have its own "Day of the Dead" - leaving every viewer thinking, "But Britain has commemorated All Souls Day and All Saints Day for centuries before Mexico - I don't understand."
At one point, a woman is mugged, and realizes she can identify both the criminal who chloroformed her (leaving disfiguring marks) - and where he lives - yet bewilderingly, the movie fails to inform anyone why the police are not called.
At one point, a cab driver who has never apparently been to this salsa club that figures in many of the scenes - walks in and immediately and expertly begins to dance with the instructor. Why? We sadly suspect it is merely because the screenwriter believes that black men dance well. (Oddly, the club itself seems to have dozens of black men dancing there each evening - and no black women).
We are given no hint of why the couples do finally get together - there is simply no reason given us why the conflicts that existed have been eliminated. We are simply told that this is so. This is a difficult point of resolution for many romantic comedies - and if we wanted any of these couples to be together, if we could bear two of the women or the man in the third couple, we'd forgive it - but we can't - and we don't. We hate them.
This is one to hate - and will leave you feeling strongly that you never accidentally see another movie written by this screenwriter. -
Yellit16 October 2002I must confess that I had never heard of this until it appeared in this week's TV schedules.
Yet it is a wonderfully cast, plotted, written and acted film. But above all it is both funny and true-to-life. One of the best I've seen in a long time and makes me wish I'd seen it at the cinema. -
This is a typical everyone's looking for love type of story. It's predictable, has a happy ending, and lots of great British accents (very important for us anglophiles).
There are three points that would make me own this film: 1. Adrian Lester was BRILLIANT. He's a philosopher cabbie that shuttles the main characters through the movie. He's deep, he's human, and he's got his own issues. I loved him. 2. Jane Horrocks was good in an unusually straight forward role. No faces, no voices, just Jane. 3. There is a scene with Tabasco sauce that had me almost on the floor. Worth the price of admission.
It's not a "great film" and won't bear up under analysis. But it's a heck of a lot of fun. -
When I saw "British romantic comedy" in the newspaper, I thought "YAY!" since it's one of my favourite genres. Unfortunately, Richard Curtis was not involved in writing the script to this one. If he had been, it would have been a lot better.
The movie is about three severely messed up couples, but the movie isn't all that funny (even though it's got some funny parts - for instance, the senile father was a bit of a giggle) and it's not all that romantic either. My mother complained about the attitude of the women, while I defended them saying "Well, if I was to put up with any of that lot, I'd have an attitude too!"
The characters aren't particularly interesting or even believable, and the Salsa club only seems to be in the movie for no real reason other than to be a cool place to hang out at. It just doesn't add up. The only people that seem truly real in it are two of the cab drivers! The main cabdriver, who acts like some sort of guru (and what a wise man he is!), and the one that John Thomson plays. The rest? No. No way. None whatsoever. If you want a British romantic comedy, I suggest you see one that is actually funny, or romantic... or at least written by Richard Curtis! -
Mattias12 March 2001Without ever having heard of Born Romantic, I bought I movie ticket today to see the movie. As it turned out, this was a very nice surprise, a romantic movie about six single people in London. The story centers around a salsa club where they go to dance every weekend. The six actors/actresses are all new to me, but I think that Catherine McCormack's performance as the mousy Jocelyn is the most impressive.
As you should expect of a romantic movie, this one shows that true love will prevail. -
FlashCallahan19 August 2013Centered around a salsa club, three men pursue three women across London.
Fergus is trying to find his ex-girlfriend.
Charmer Frankie, is trying his hardest to pull the beautiful Eleanor.
Robber Eddie is trying to find, and also pull, one of his victims, cemetery worker Jocelyn...
In the late nineties and early noughties, there were a slew of these British romantic comedies, that were trying to be a sort of antidote to the sickly sweet behemoths that were Richard Curtis movies.
We Had This Years Love, If Only, House, Virtual Sexuality, and this. And while some of them were funny and quite the alternative (think Lock Tock for the ladies) they disappeared without a trace, because they were too familiar and felt a little bit too depressing at times.
This film, whilst it has a few genius moments, features too many people with miserable faces to be anything like a cheerful movie. We have Adrian Lester as a sort of guardian, watching their lives as they sit in the back of his cab, being drunk and depressed.
And apart from McCormack, none of the characters are very likable. They are either thieves, drunkards, loose women, or stuck up.
So at the end, you really couldn't care less, because they don't really deserve to be happy.
But there are funny moments, and despite the unlikable characters, the performances are brilliant.
Just do it less gloomy next time.... -
Jas_1117 August 2019This film came on as I turned on the tv due to insomnia. Had to have the subtitles on so wouldn't wake anyone. Good British film. Decent actors, reasonable light hearted storylines with obvious romance. Adrian Lester with dreadlocks was hilarious. Jane Horrocks a complete tart in it. Kept me entertained .
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nzpedals11 March 2015Set in London, seven young people try to sort out their relationship issues - or lack of them.
Fergus (David Morrissey) comes to London to try and find the girl Mo, (Jane Horrocks) that he jilted eight years before. He does find her and tries to win her back.
Eddie (Jimi Mistry) is a petty thief and all round loser. He meets a slightly strange but adorable self-employed grave decorator, Jocelyn (Catherine McCormack), steals her purse, tries to mug her at a strangely remote ATM, then tries to court her! They have one of the best scenes of the movie when she rescues his deranged dad and brings him home.
Then there is Frankie, (Craig Ferguson) trying to divorce his wife but still living in the same house. They are both seeking new partners which leads to problems about sharing space. Eleanor (Olivia Williams), his new girl, is so elegant, slightly remote but very nice too.
Jimmy (Adrian Lester) is a taxi driver who knows them all, and knows lots about them, and hands out advice. He links the various events together very effectively. All the characters go to a dance club doing salsa (whatever that is?) and this helps link the characters too.
The acting is great, there are some really good scenes and dialogue, but I've only rated it 9 because the scenes at the cab company are unnecessary and unpleasant. -
maarten-1928 August 2003Not that great movie as I thought, simple script and easy making end... although the personalities were verry nice! Not just 3 hot babes and 3 great looking men.. but just 3 totally different persons. That gives the movie flair. Nice but not more movie.
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caitlin_online11 February 2003This film is a really nice ensemble piece, all the cast are good and put in a range of very appealing performances.
Personally I have a bit of a 'thing' for David Morrissey and it was nice for a change to see him here with his native Liverpudlian accent being charming, sexy and very very funny.
Ian Hart who gets top billing is really a fairly minor character, yet also puts in an excellent, and unusual performance as the misogynistic taxi driver who dishes out advice to anyone who cares to listen in the cafe.
The plot is certainly nothing new, and there are no real surprises along the way, but it succeeds well in it's aim of being a warm and appealing feel good movie. -
Theo Robertson20 July 2004Who said romance is dead ? Probably the same idiot who said the British film industry of 2000 was in successful form . BORN ROMANTIC proves that it wasn`t and for the last ten tears Britain has been making far too many of these underdeveloped flops . For every FULL MONTY or 28 DAYS LATER there`s about ten THE LIFE OF STUFF , THE SLAB BOYS and IT WAS AN ACCIDENT gathering dust on a distributers shelf
I will give writer/director David Kane some praise for assembling a cast that includes some very well known faces , alas I have to criticise him as a screenwriter . First off who`s the movie aimed at ? Is it for lads sitting at home with their mates with a lot of beer or is it for girls who want to watch a rom com with their friends ? There`s no way lads are going to watch anything that`s been marketed as a romance featuring people doing the salsa while the chicks are going to be put off by the graphic descriptions of oral sex etc . Come on when has oral sex had anything to do with romance ? . That last line was tongue in cheek but you know what I`m saying . BORN ROMANTIC did have some potential but as well as rather crude humour it also lacks anytype of cohesion , it`s just a bunch of not very related sub plots involving characters who attend a salsa class with the characters being sad , lonely unlikeable people . In the hands of Jack Rosenthal or William Trevor the premise might have led to a touching rom com but here it fails . I also couldn`t help noticing it was made far too late to cash in on the success of STRICTLY BALLROOM
BORN ROMANTIC is Mike Leigh meets Richard Curtis without any of the skill of either and how can you make a movie featuring a Scotsman with a bi-sexual girlfriend without casting John Leslie in the role ? -
From the director of This Year's Love comes another Brit rom com, combining the talents of many of our up and coming English film stars with familiar faces from the small screen.
The film follows a group of people, and how their lives are affected through chance meetings and overlappings of social circles as they come to dance in the same salsa club and go to the same taxi rank to get home. Fergus (David Morrissey) follows his former love (Horrocks) all the way to London to attempt a reconciliation after jilting her years ago, whereas Eddie (Mistry) stumbles into the salsa club one night, and into the life of introvert Jocelyn (McCormack), reluctant to have him intrude, with a similar scenario for Frankie and Eleanor (Ferguson and Williams).
With the disgusted reports of last years figures of box office takings from Brit flicks - among the many disgraced include Janice Beard 45 wpm (starring Rhys Ifans and Pasty Kensit) and House (starring Kelly MacDonald and This Life's Jason Hughes) - only Billy Elliot and Snatch actually made a profit. The British film industry was getting increasingly stronger with international success from hits like 4 Weddings and A Funeral and The Full Monty a few years ago, so why is it we only seem to produce the occasional gem?
Probably because in the case of Born Romantic, yes, you get the occasional laugh; yes, it isn't bad in itself; especially with the calibre of actors in it, but compared to other British films, it certainly isn't doing much special or, at the very least, original. Which is a shame, considering the potential the film shows, particularly within the characterisation. Still worth seeing, but bear in mind that the influence from This Year's Love clearly shines through. -
lynzyj1 August 2005I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise. The dialog was entertaining and quite funny. The characters are all lost and looking for someone or something to fulfill their lives. They each have something that makes their lives pathetic. As the film progresses the characters all seem to find improvement and are all helped by the Taxi Driver, Jimmy, who brings them together and helps them out. The main theme running through this delightful film, is that there is someone for everyone. Even a reclusive girl, who is obsessed with death and a petty thief who can't pull off a successful robbery.
The story is well written and well acted. It leaves you with a warm and fuzzy happy ending. So, if you like happy endings, grab your loved one and cuddle up on the couch and give this one a try. -
An ensemble rom-com that requires a love of salsa. If this love is lacking in the audience, they will often be bored. The opening is set in the salsa club that connects the characters, is long and dull and drenched in a cheap-looking murky red, which isn't going to snag the interest of a passing viewer. This is reprised throughout the film along with drawn out shots of London roads, adding to the lethargic and depressing tone.
However, Born Romantic does have an interesting set up, once it gets around to it, and each of the three male leads have intriguing back stories. Fergus has come to London to find the love he jilted eight years ago. Frankie lives in a sinking house with his ex-wife. Eddie is a petty thief looking after his senile father. Unfortunately their female equivalents are less developed. Mo is a slag (broken heart), Eleanor a snob (high standards) and Jocelyn a kook (fear of death). It feels very much that each couple ends up together only because there isn't space in the film for them to think about meeting anyone else and the ending is unsatisfactory because from all signs the relationships between Fergus and Mo, and Frankie and Eleanor are doomed, with them only getting together because they are tired of fighting. The sweeter relationship between Eddie and Jocelyn may last, but these two characters have the least depth in reality so it is hard to consider them real people at all.
Fergus, Frankie and Eddie pursue their ladies, their stories connected by a salsa club and a widower taxi driver, but while individual scenes can be enlightening and well crafted, they are never enough. The whole film suffers from its disjointed nature and it ultimately has too many characters and plots to give any the depth they deserve. While this is the risk of all ensemble films, Born Romantic doesn't have anything else to it to fall back on. -
graeme.mathieson26 October 2001I really liked this film, the soundtrack was excellent and the story was pretty good too. Salsaholics will love it! but normal people should like it too.