Review: Born Romantic

The lightweight British import Born Romantic is harmless yet completely forgettable, a romantic scruple that seemingly takes its lead from an episode of HBO’s Taxi Cab Confessions. Cabbie Jimmy (Adrian Lester) is the near-perfect picture of male competence—he rides through London’s dank streets, moral condemnations of his emotionally crippled passengers. Three men and three women toil with the many complications of love, all making their way in and out of Jimmy’s psychological backseat. Petty thief Eddie (Jimi Mistry) falls for a grave-decorating Jocelyn (Catherine McCormack) and Jimmy imparts the “lose the morbidity”/“go to school” advice. After eight years, no-show Fergus (David Morrissey) looks to rekindle an old flame (not to mention his under-performing unit) by trying to find ex-lover Mo (Jane Horrocks)—a finger-wagging Jimmy all the while warns of the dangers of loveless one-night stands and the joys of recycled love. Frankie (Craig Ferguson), the man with two left feet, falls for ice queen Eleanor (Olivia Williams)—Jimmy stands by and teaches Frankie to salsa and Eleanor to give way to joy. Sun-up to sun-down, Born Romantic’s one-dimensional, seemingly jobless characters ruminate on love and sex while coming together at the local salsa joint. It is there that director David Kane’s romantics partake in metaphorical group therapy sessions. Everyone’s wounded, even Jimmy. The silly cabdriver with all the answers conquers his own demons by way of the dance. Sporadically humorous, Born Romantic amounts to little: a glib, Altman-lite portrait of interconnected lives. Too bad the folks here are entirely too busybody.

Cast: Craig Ferguson, Ian Hart, Jane Horrocks, Adrian Lester, Catherine McCormack, Jimi Mistry, Olivia Williams, Kenneth Cranham Director: David Kane Screenwriter: David Kane Distributor: United Artists Running Time: 95 min Rating: R Year: 2001 Buy: Video

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