Serendipity (2001)

A thoroughly routine romantic comedy rendered more aggravating by its incessant "near-miss" plot structure, Serendipity gets its few pleasures not from its leads but from its often-inspired supporting cast. Once again making a bid for romantic star status, John Cusack proves that he's only as good as the material he's provided; the movie rarely allows him to show the loose, natural persona he exhibited in 2000's High Fidelity. The same can be said for Kate Beckinsale, a talented young actress whose spirit seems dulled as her character is forced to leap through numerous logistic hurtles, all in the name of "chance." Serendipity's main problem isn't with the actors but their script: Since they're allowed such a brief sliver of time together at the movie's outset, it's hard for the audience to have a vested interest in whether or not they end up together at the end. Along the way, however, we're treated to a host of ancillary laughs, the best of which come from John Corbett as a trippy, dippy world-music star, and the ever-reliable Eugene Levy as an anal-retentive store clerk. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide