Music From Another Room (DVD, 2003)

If you like movies that make you wince and cringe, you've hit the motherlode. My daughter called me "Squinty" for days after viewing this one. You'd think a talent-packed cast that includes Jude Law, Brenda Blethyn, Jennifer Tilly, and Jeremy Piven would be able to overcome any obstacle of bad writing and predictable plotting. They do try, and that's part of the problem. It's almost like the actors know this is dreck and hope if they really, really act it out, maybe no one will notice. I noticed, hence the resulting squints and a frown line that no Botox will ever remove.

It's supposed to be a love story about a sweet idealist (Jude Law) who can't stop loving Anna, a girl he helped deliver when he was just a child. Anna is a member of the ill-natured and mean-spirited Swann clan. They bicker, snit, intimidate, annoy, and even shoot each other and still act as if they're superior to anyone else around. It's not as much fun as it sounds. Brenda Blethyn, the family's matriarch, seems to be the exception to family's nasty tendencies. She floats through this mess with oblivious good cheer and optimism that is mitigated by the fact that she's quite unhinged.

And don't get me started on Jennifer Tilly's character, the completely blind Nina, tooling around Los Angeles on a bicycle in what is supposed to be a seminal moment and is instead unconvincing and ridiculous. That Jude Law's character may win the girl and bring some much needed humanity to this undeserving tribe will not keep you teetering on the edge of your seat. And any movie that makes me hate the Piven has got serious problems.

I love a good romantic comedy and the old happy ending. The movie tries really hard to be both and manages to only get on your last nerve. Watch only to mock.

I loved this movie the first time I saw it. My roomate owned it, and one afternoon my sister and I decided to watch it. We ended up laughing so hard at all of the subtle humor, I decided I just had to buy it for my sister's birthday. It is a cute romantic comedy, and I was suprised by how funny some of the story lines were in the film.

When five year old Danny helps deliver the baby of his deceased mother's best friend, he declares that he will marry her, the baby, someday. His father then moves him to England and the story picks up 25 years later.
We next see an absolutely gorgeous Danny (Jude Law) on his return to the United States where he must find employment and a place to live. Fate jumps in and provides him with both in the form of a rented room above a bakery and a job delivering baked goods. Fate again steps in and creates a bicycle accident that knocks him off his bike and into the arms of none other than Anna Swan(Gretchen Mol), the baby he helped deliver 25 years before. Without a doubt, Danny is obviously smitten even before he realizes who she is. No big surprise we discover the girl of his dreams is engaged to someone else.
The delightfully disfunctional Swan family brings comic relief to what could have easily been just another run-of-the-mill romance story. Grace (Brenda Blethyn), the family matriarch is a light hearted, rather etherial sort of mother. You adore her character for a variety of reasons, most importantly because she genuinely loves Danny. Nina (Jennifer Tilly) the blind sister who is sheltered beyond belief until Danny encourages her to spread her wings a little and teaches her that there is life outside of her sheltered existence. Billy (Jeremy Piven) the brother that cheats on his insane wife, Irene (Jane Adams) (these characters are obviously included solely to garner a few comedic moments and succeed well). Karen (Martha Plimpton) the gay sister who has a great line or two but basically is a rather dispensable character.
There is one character that bears a special mention, Jesus (pronounced in the english form rather than the spanish way) played by Vincent Laresca. He plays the eventual love interest of Nina. Girls will fall for his dorky touching portrayal of a man in love with a blind woman.
There is a lot of predictability with this movie but it is still worth watching. I would be remiss if I didn't point out there is one of the most delightful death scenes ever filmed, it is also one of the funniest scenes in the movie. This is a feel good romantic adventure that allows the viewer to escape reality for a delightful 104 minutes.

This movie has a very unusual beginning and a delightful story line. I highly recommend it. Watching Jude Law's character struggle to achieve his boyhood prediction is delightful. I highly recommend the movie.

Sorry I have never received this dvd. UPS has no record of the package.I would appreciate if you can help me with this problem. Sorry I cannot rate this film as I have never seen it, so I will rate it excellent ? Thanks

merich@earth-comm.com

I really enjoyed the movie. It is so romantic and also has lots of comic relief. Its so heart melting and Jude Law is totally hot

Loved this movie.......saw it on tv and i knew i had to get the dvd. Great seller. Got it on time and payment was easy. Definitely would recommend