Many films, ranging from “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “Sliding Doors,” have pondered the way in which small, seemingly insignificant actions may lead to giant, life-changing events — a phenomenon often referred to as the butterfly effect.
The latest addition to the group is “Chaos Theory,” directed by Marcos Siega (“The Underclassman”) and written by Daniel Taplitz (“Breakin’ All the Rules”). While it’s certainly not the worst work we’ve seen on the topic (that would be 2004’s “The Butterfly Effect”), it’s far from the best.
Ironically, “Chaos Theory” quickly spirals out of control, failing to find a steady tone and create rich, engrossing characters and missing the emotional chords it’s clearly hoping to strike.
The film gets off on the wrong foot with a framing device that has a supposedly middle-aged Frank (Ryan Reynolds) trying to warm his future son-in-law’s cold feet on his wedding-day.
Frank, it seems, has some stories to tell about his own marriage and the love lessons he’s learned over the years. Unfortunately, the boyish-looking Mr. Reynolds is not convincing physically or emotionally as a grizzled elder.
Audiences then see Frank as a much “younger” man, vying for the attention of the hottest gal in his group of friends, Susan (Emily Mortimer). At a New Year’s Eve party, she frivolously picks him to be her lifelong mate over Buddy (Stuart Townsend) because she likes the name Frank has chosen for his genitalia better than any of the other boys’.
Perhaps this plot is meant to feel raw, real and contemporary and appeal to intelligent young crowds. Instead, it feels ludicrous, shallow and forced.
From here, the filmmakers head into the intended meat of the movie. It’s now several years into Frank and Susan’s marriage. He’s making a living as an efficiency expert and plans his life out on index cards. His wife (now the mother of his daughter), however, is sick of his rigid schedule and decides to throw him off a bit.
She sets the clocks back instead of forward one morning, throwing Frank’s life into a tailspin that involves a presumptuous female fan of his (Sarah Chalke), an unmarried pregnant woman and a rare genetic disorder.
With the order in his life destroyed, Frank decides to leave matters to chance instead, a choice that leads to a few comical encounters. The trouble is, the film becomes so concerned with telling a smart, humorous yet poignant tale about love in the midst of chaos that it forgets to fully flesh out its characters. This is a shame, particularly given Miss Mortimer’s talent (anyone see “Lovely and Amazing”?).
Ultimately, “Chaos” is an unfortunate example of the implications of the theory of the title. It tilts slightly in the wrong direction from the get-go, and by the film’s eventual resolution, it has flown wildly off its axis.
**
TITLE: “Chaos Theory”
RATING: PG-13 (for mature thematic material, sexual content and language)
CREDITS: Directed by Marcos Siega. Written by Daniel Taplitz.
RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes
WEB SITE: www.chaostheorymovie.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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