Another Romantic Comedy That Is Above The Curve: Still Breathing

The Good: Good dialogue, Good acting, Interesting characters
The Bad: Predictable plot
The Basics: Amusing and interesting, Still Breathing is a pleasant look at love in a world of disillusionment.


Romantic comedies suffer greatly on rewatching value because so often the first time through the plot is so predictable that rewatching the film becomes insipid. Every now and then a romantic comedy comes along that is not boring or paced in such a way that makes it entirely predictable or uninteresting.

Still Breathing is one such film. The plot is a little more interesting than the usual romantic comedy. In fact, Still Breathing isn't terribly funny. Basically, it focuses on Fletcher and Roz. Fletcher is a Texan who dreams of a woman, he comes from a long line of men who dream of their women. He dreams of Roz when she's assaulted and he ends up in California searching for her. Roz, for her part, is a content con artist who is looking to scam a different Texan. This results in her going into a bar and asking the fateful question, "How many Texans can be in this California bar on a Wednesday afternoon?!"

So, the eccentric artist Fletcher meets Roz, builds a rock sculpture in her hand and basically challenges her by having a simple, geeky, undemanding love for her. In fact, the refreshing aspect of the film is how it doesn't follow the formulaic nature of usual romantic comedies. Roz doesn't fall for Fletcher, confess her true nature only to have Fletcher run away until he realizes Roz was truly the love of her life. Instead, Roz continues attempting her scam, she remains wary of Fletcher and denies the validity of his feelings.

Instead, Fletcher hears her confession, doesn't freak and she leaves and he continues his pursuit. The challenge of the film is in the characters.

Fletcher is quirky. He smiles at himself in the mirror, he makes rock sculptures, he plays brass instruments with his grandmother while in a rowboat. The point is, he's interesting and that comes out in every scene he's in. Rosalyn is intriguing. She's more than just a crook, she's vulnerable, disillusioned and hurt. The film is about her understanding her own denial of the truths of the world.

Perhaps romantic drama is a better term for categorizing this film, but the truth is, Still Breathing is worth your time. It has excellent dialogue. Most every line Fletcher says is quoteable, most of Roz's lines classify our world today in its bleakness. Still Breathing succeeds as a beautifully shot film filled with interesting characters who are struggling with the world around them and the realities they find there.

For other works with Brendan Fraser, please check out my reviews of:
Furry Vengeance
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
Crash
Looney Toons: Back In Action
Gods And Monsters

8/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2001 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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