Chaos Theory (2008)
Directed by Marcos Siega
Written by Daniel Taplitz, Kathy Gori
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Stuart Townsend, Emily Mortimer, Sarah Chalke
Release Date April 11th, 2008
Published October 15th, 2008
Ryan Reynolds carries himself as a man who knows he is a star. Reynolds has Confidence just short of arrogance and a real sense of self onscreen, Reynolds, at times, evinces the earnest friendly quality of Tom Hanks and crosses it with a Johnny Depp-like aversion toward anything to conventional. Don't be mistaken, Reynolds makes conventional movies but like Depp he plays his part in a way that gives convention a noticeable tweak. For his latest movie, the conventional romantic dramedy Chaos Theory Reynolds plays his characters tics and fears as physical expressions and gives a performance of grave irritation.
In Chaos Theory Ryan Reynolds stars as Frank Allen, efficiency expert. Frank gives seminars on time management and lives his life with swiss watch precision. That Frank managed to find a woman willing to put up with his maddening lists and schedules is something of an only in the movies miracle. Emily Mortimer is Susan, a wife of infinite patience. The two were friends for years before she decided of the group of male friends she had amassed, Frank was the one she could see herself with permanantly. That was seven years ago, they have a lovely young daughter now and a life of ease and elegance.
Things change drastically and by chance when a finally snapping Susan decides to push the clock ahead 10 minutes. The result is Frank missing his ferry to the city and having to sheepishly reschedule a talk on time management. If you think being late to work is tough, try being a time management guru and show up late.
Nevertheless, Frank powers through the presentation and meets his pal Buddy (Stuart Townsend) in the lobby. They hit the bar and while Buddy chases skirts Frank drinks a little too much, drowning his inefficient sorrows, and ends up back in his hotel room with Paula (Sarah Chalke, Scrubs) trying to keep from cheating on Susan.
Making a run for it, Frank is involved in a car accident with a pregnant woman. He rushes her to the hospital and a couple of misplaced signatures have him mistaken as the baby daddy. When the pregnant girl disappears the next day, leaving the baby behind, a befuddled Susan receives a call to 'return to the hospital and her baby'. Frank has some explaining to do.
The theory of Chaos Theory is that Frank being late, missing his ferry, sets off a series of chaotic events that leave his marriage in trouble. Had Frank been on schedule perhaps, if he had made it to his ferry and given his talk in time, things could have been different. Now, however, because he was later, he is forced to confront the random, uncontrollable forces of fate.,
Director Marcos Siega and writer Daniel Taplitz start from an interesting place but as the chaos sets in on Frank's life so does it set in on a script that is too uncertain of itself. Is it comedy? Is it drama? The balance is even between the two but without a true perspective a vacuum of ideas develops and Chaos Theory becomes a dramatic/comedic void.
The idea of chaos and order fate and chance, are ideas that many filmmakers have explored with relative success. Siega and Taplitz unfortunately bring no depth or substance to the discussion. Chaos theory, chance, fate, all of these are merely building blocks to a mediocre comedy drama with no real driving dramatic force.
