(When Lucy Met Rachel….)
CAST: Matthew Goode, Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Celia Imrie, Darren Boyd, Anthony Head.
DIRECTOR: Ol Parker
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one particularly thorny romance directly ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: Chic, posh, beautiful London couple Heck and Rachel (Matthew Goode and Piper Perabo) are getting married. The big day, however, takes a turn for the unpredictable when Rachel takes one look at florist Luce (Lena Headey), who is taking care of the floral arrangements, and feels an immediate spark. And, trust me, it’s a two-way street. After the wedding, Rachel strikes a friendship with Luce - and before you know it, the googley eyes are going overdrive in both directions. Meanwhile, Heck is wondering why his blushing bride is so distant and distracted lately. Seems Rachel is falling in love with Luce - and vice versa. How’s that for a honeymoon?
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: The person who sees the writing on the wall - and graciously steps out of the way. Will it be Heck? Or Luce?
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Matthew Goode? Hot. Piper Perabo? Hot. Lena Headey? Mega-hot. Everybody wins…
MOST INTENTIONALLY TOUCHING SCENE: Rachel asking Luce about the meanings of various flowers, and asking about her favorite: the Lily. And the response that Luce reluctantly gives? “It means 'I dare you to love me'.” Hmmmmmmm…. So that’s why Chris Evans’ twin gave me a bouquet of lilies recently. That wily bastard…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TOUCHING SCENE: Well… they’re all pretty touching. But I guess the closest is Heck’s poonhound best friend Cooper (Darren Boyd), defending his buddy. Now, that’s loyalty…
HOTTEST SCENE: Rachel and Luce attending a football (AKA soccer) game, and Luce teaching Rachel how to yell at their least favorite player with the force of 100 megaphones. As in: “YOU’RE A WANKER, NUMBER 9!!!!! Or as I yelled out after that recent fucked-up MLS playoff game between Real Salt Lake and my boyz the Sounders: “YOU ALL SUCK IGUANA DICK, REAL SALT LAKE!!!!! BADLY!!!!! DO YOU NEED LESSONS?!?!?!”
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: So… what’s going on between Rachel and Luce? Is this the real thing? Or is it just, you know, a phase that Rachel will grow out of? Will Luce let Rachel throw away her marriage? Or will Luce do the noble thing, sacrifice her feelings, and walk away? Will Heck fight for his woman? Or is Rachel pretty much ga-ga for Luce? Will Coop try to “cure” Luce of her lesbianism? Or will Luce give him a nice roundhouse kick to the nuts instead? My bet is on Luce. That woman has some legs on her. Besides Coop is kind of a choad. I wouldn’t go home with him if the world was flooded with piss and he lived in the last treehouse. Just saying…
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “IMAGINE ME & YOU”: If you like romantic comedies that are a bit unconventional, with talented, attractive performers who sell the story despite its flaws.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “IMAGINE ME & YOU”: If you like your romantic comedies to follow hetero formulas that don‘t step outside the lines. And if the thought of two chicks going at it makes you queasy. If so, I’ve got another image that’ll freak you out: me and Russell Crowe re-enacting the MR & MRS. SMITH fight scene - wearing nothing but Speedos. How’s your stomach?
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In the schedule of upcoming reviews published last week, I jokingly referred to IMAGINE ME & YOU as “Brokeback Mountain with Chickz.” That’s not entirely accurate. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was more about two men who meet, become friends, fall in love, then unite and reunite throughout the years despite subsequently being wed to others. No, IMAGINE ME & YOU is more akin to one of our most popular reviews, the lovely Italian film STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH (review # 251). In that film, a married Italian businessman travels to Istanbul - only to find himself falling in love with another man. What IMAGINE ME & YOU and STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH have in common are straight protagonists who are already married, when they meet a member of the same sex who inverts and shatters all their pre-conceptions about love, sexuality, and life.
STEAM took a more laid-back, Italian approach that told the love story obliquely, using some surreal atmosphere and one truly unforgettable ending. The result was a romance with the haunting quality of a dream. IMAGINE, on the other hand, follows a more predictable “romantic comedy” path despite its unconventional premise. This both helps and hinders the movie. It helps in the sense that it makes the “lesbian” love story more palatable to mainstream audiences. However, it also hinders the movie by preventing a more in-depth examination of Rachel’s “awakening.” In STEAM, Francesco (Alessandro Gassman) explained his growing love for Mehmet (Mehmet Munsur) in one simple sentence: “Egli mi fa sentire come posso fare tutto…” Or in English: “He makes me feel like I can do anything…” And that was enough for us to understand why Francesco felt reborn with Mehmet. Especially given how unhappy his life and marriage back in Rome is.
In IMAGINE ME & YOU, however, Rachel’s marriage is a sound one, and Heck is a terrific guy. We never get a concrete explanation from Rachel as to why she would upend her life by pursuing Luce. Fortunately, Luce is played by Lena Headey with such a combo of sexy intelligence, dry humor, and haunting vulnerability, that you kind of get why Rachel might be attracted to her. Indeed, by playing fair and portraying both Heck and Luce as great options, the movie puts Rachel in quite the spot. This creates a solid triangle that is instrumental in giving the movie some emotional gravity.
As Heck, Matthew Goode is the epitome of the “Good Sport Character”. Someone who deserves to be happy but remains gracious and classy despite the actions of others that prevent that happiness. Goode and Perabo as Rachel also have the right chemistry that signals more of familiar and friendly connection, and not a romantic one. This helps Rachel’s case somewhat. Imagine if Goode and Perabo had a more powerful chemistry like, say, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in MR. AND MRS. SMITH. Rachel’s decision to pursue Luce would not have made sense then. I have to wonder if director Ol Parker specifically instructed Goode and Perabo to strive for this warmer chemistry, rather than a more combustible one, on purpose. Makes sense to me.
As the central point of the triangle, Piper Perabo is lovely and tentative. In her hands, Rachel comes across as somewhat of a closet romantic despite a sassy exterior. This is apparent in her conversations with co-workers about soulmates, love, and “crossing the street.” And, I suppose, it might explain why she would be so easily dazzled by Luce (who, admittedly, is pretty dazzling). As I said before, it’s fortunate that Headey portrayed Luce with such charisma and grace, because it helps fill in the holes of Rachel’s motivation.
Still, it would’ve been nice to have gotten more of a background on Rachel. Such as, was she ever attracted to other women before? Even just a little? We never get that information. Fortunately, Headey and Perabo have the right kind of chemistry to sell their characters’ growing attraction and conflict. The scene where Luce tells Rachel the meaning of the Lily flower (“I dare you to love me”) is especially lovely. In fact, if you want to boil down this film to its essence, it’s about Rachel finding the courage to love Luce. So this scene forms the movie’s emotional core.
I won’t spoil the ending for IMAGINE ME & YOU. Suffice it to say, unlike STEAM’S ending, which was heartbreaking, hopeful, and unconventional all at the same time, IMAGINE’s ending is a more conventional affair. Fortunately, director Ol Parker’s message more than makes up for any quibbles one might have with the ending. And that message is this: sometimes, the greatest act of love that you can bestow upon someone is to just walk away. In this romance, whether its Luce or Heck, someone has to graciously walk away and let Rachel find her happiness.
I leave that discovery up to you, folks. While IMAGINE ME & YOU is no STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH, it is still a sweet film which reminds us that, in the end, love is ultimately about one thing: sacrifice.
In closing, some tunes from IMAGINE ME & YOU’s trailers:
