If the thought of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan makes you snarl, and movies which can be described as kookie or sweet promote feelings of nausea, you'd be well advised to stay away from this charming and unapologetically romantic confection.
Sara (Beckinsale) and Jonathan (Cusack) meet in Bloomingdales, reaching for the same pair of cashmere gloves they both want to buy their other halves. Attracted at first sight but attached, the duo spend a magical evening together. When the time comes to swap phone numbers, Sara decides to let fate determine if they should see each other again.
In a frankly ludicrous plot hinge, Jonathan writes his digits on a five dollar note which is immediately spent, while Sara writes hers in a book she will sell the next day. If the information works its way back to the intended, they are meant to be together.
If you're happy to swallow this whimsical set-up, prepare for a delightful dance of missed meetings, magical coincidence, and races against time. If not, best go see something else.
Enchanting though it is, complete with Manhattan skyline, twinkling snow, and palpable chemistry between the leads, "Serendipity" relies wholeheartedly on a suspense of disbelief and faith in good old-fashioned romance.
Wittily scripted, beautifully played by an excellent cast, and just so darned... nice, this is must-see viewing for the romantics. For everyone else, it's laughable nonsense.