Does crossing the quarter century line make something historically important?
Lovers that are literally star-crossed by the bureaucracy of heaven. Fate and art playing against one another over style and crime. Young performers and a director after breakout roles and on the verge of superstardom. That is “A Life Less Ordinary,” Danny Boyle’s 1997 follow up to “Trainspotting,” which stars Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor, up and coming stars at the time.
The movie features all the signatures of an award winning director and his burgeoning celebrities, but it was missed by many at the time. Many things, from rock and roll bands to buildings to neighborhoods, get considered for hall of fame or landmark status once they hit age 25.
Diaz and McGregor star as Celine and Robert. Coming from their initial breakthrough roles in “The Mask” and “Trainspotting” respectively, the movie is associated with an important spot in the lives of these actors. This was the point where they were moving from initial notoriety to acclaim and stardom. Within a year, Diaz would appear in “Something About Mary,” while McGregor was headed for the Star Wars film franchise, a role he continues today.
It is also a notable early work by director Danny Boyle, whose fingerprints are all over the design and construction of this narrative film. Boyle had also recently finished “Trainspotting,” and he was heading to direct “The Beach” and “28 Days Later,” the latter being such a quintessential horror movie that it changed the genre and started the craze for zombies. Further work by the director included “Slumdog Millionaire,” for which he won an Oscar, and the planning and creative direction of opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics.
The look of the “A Life Less Ordinary” embodies distinctive visible characteristics of late 90’s film. Apples and hearts are pierced by bullets in cut-aways that could only be accomplished by post “Jurassic Park” CGI. The frosty Celine melts when pulled into a karaoke performance that turns into a stylized “Pulp Fiction” dance number. Fashion design icons are pulled in for costuming the fitted suit jackets and patterned shirts, as Luc Besson did earlier the same year with Jean Paul Gaultier’s clothing in “The Fifth Element.”
