Beautiful Disasters

Earlier this year, I was desperate to watch a few comedies, so I spent hours trolling through Netflix Instant to find a film that would give me a lift. One of the movies I stumbled across was Love and Other Disasters, starring Brittany Murphy.

Released in 2007, the film seems made just for me. Murphy plays Jacks, a young woman who works for British Vogue, and she is very fashion-conscious, indeed, paying homage to Audrey Hepburn with each outfit she wears. Her roommate Peter, played by Matthew Rhys, is an aspiring screenwriter, and the entire conceit of the movie is that it is Peter is writing the screenplay of the story that is unfolding, complete with settings, descriptions, and a scene, toward the end, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom as Jacks and her boyfriend, in a nod to a joke made much earlier in the film. This meta-fictional structure is absolutely delightful. There is humor and heart in the story. And the film itself looks beautiful, from the not-quite-gritty London in which Jacks lives to her apartment--all white, black, slate blue, and silver, as seen here (forgive the nature of Murphy's costume; it was the best picture I could find).

Of course, it helps that Alek Keshishian directed and produced it. For those of you who don't know, he directed Madonna: Truth or Dare, which I have previously discussed. One of his producing partners for the movie was David Fincher of Fight Club fame, who also directed the music video for Madonna's "Vogue" and several others. (Luc Besson, director of The Fifth Element, another movie I adore, was also a producer.) So it was bound to have a great look and a certain flair.

I recently found a copy for myself and am looking forward to rewatching it soon. You can buy your own through Family Video for $12.99.

-Cate-