As a self-proclaimed "movie-aholic," who wouldn't be caught dead at Step Up 2 (no matter how gorgeous I think Channing Tatum is), I'll admit that I went to see Chaos Theory for the Ryan Reynolds, Stuart Townsend combination. Keeping that in mind, I entered the theater expecting just another quirky romantic comedy, full of predictable plot twists and character portrayals. I was completely mistaken. After a few short minutes of the movie, the usually overwhelming attractiveness of Reynolds and Townsend seemed to, dare I say it, take a back seat to the actual story being told. I found myself completely entranced by every scene, every original bit of dialogue, and I was left wondering, "Really, what's so bad about chaos?"
The movie opens with a young couple hours before they are to be married. The young man begins to get cold feet and runs outside to get some air, where he is met by Frank Allen, his future father-in-law, played by a very old Reynolds (Definitely Maybe, Just Friends). Allen attempts to calm the young man down by forcing him to talk out his fears and anxieties about the wedding, in a humorous Ben Stiller-Robert DeNiro kind of way.
Allen begins to tell the story of his own marriage, as the movie shifts from present day to a New Year's Eve party many years ago. Allen is at the bar with his best friend Buddy, played by Townsend (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Trapped), making to-do lists, which is something completely normal and standard for Allen, as he borders on having obsessive compulsive disorder. At the top of his to-do list for the night is to kiss Susan, (Emily Mortimer, Match Point, Lovely and Amazing), his dream girl. After gaining some courage from the celebratory champagne, he becomes bold enough to kiss her once the clock strikes midnight.
From there, the film fast-forwards seven years, where we see Frank and Susan married and with a young daughter. Frank is now an author who has perfected the art of time management, making effective use of note cards and a flawless system of timetables.
2008 Woodie Awards
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