If Only

I liked this movie-ever since I watched "Somewhere in Time" I have been interested in movies with that theme and it is interesting to see how others approach this in other movies; this movie was not as good as SWIT but I did like it enough to add it to my DVD library. I have grown to really like Jennifer Love Hewett and I would recommend to others to give this movie a watch and see if you like it enough to add it to your DVD library.

I came to Amazon to see the end of If Only after seeing the first half of it two or three times on TV.It's the story a slightly neglectful man whose violinist (apropos) girlfriend gets killed in an accident and when he wakes up the next day to find out it hasn't happened yet, he tries to change the outcome. it may be better watched from 10 feet away, because it's exponentially more sappy watching on a tablet from a foot away. It was already stretching credulity - and I like fantasy as much as the next person - but they live one of those days that would take 3 days in reality, which is annoying and usually takes me out of the movie. Near the end of it, Hewitt is standing in the rain with water dripping off her hair at a rate so excessive it became comedic and I expected it to become literal (off camera) buckets pouring down on her, Python style. By this point it seemed that it was more of a vehicle to show off Love Hewitt's singing and emoting, and a close shot of her butt, writhing into the camera. That was cringeworthy, as was her dropping off the boyfriend's "forgotten" papers for his presentation.A couple of reviewers here have compared it to Sliding Doors and Groundhog Day. I love Groundhog Day. It's one of my favorites. Sliding Doors, on the other hand, is a perfectly loathsome movie. If you want to feel depressed, go to IMDb and read the quotes from it. It would be hard to write worse dialogue for a movie. Plan 9 has more natural dialogue. Just because all three movies play with time does not make them comparable in any other way.But back to If Only. Do people really enjoy super sappy movies that manipulate them into crying when it's a totally capricious plot twist? - SPOILER ALERT! - stop now if this sounds like you'd still want to watch it. I assumed it would end up with a happy ending, but hey, maybe she lost a man who really loved her but she got to be a famous singer! Seems like a fair trade.

This is hardly an original movie, let's start with that. Then again, what was the last truly original movie you've seen? Now that we got that out of the way, let's agree that you either love sappy romances that have that "if only" element attached to it or hate them.This movie is in the vain of such films as "Family Man" and Chances Are." Jennifer Love Hewitt is "Samantha" an American living in London with her boyfriend, "Ian" (played by Paul Nicholls). Ian is absorbed in his work, not being the boyfriend he could/should be. When Samantha dies in an auto accident, Ian is racked with guilt...until a cab driver makes possible the opportunity to relive the last day they spent together.Well, suffice to say, having the chance to do it all over again, Ian is everything he wasn't the first time around. But yet little things throughout the day seem to indicate that no matter what happens, the day will end with Samantha dying. Unless....I can't spoil it for those who haven't yet seen it. There will be tissues and there will be tears. It isn't anything you probably haven't seen before, but it works like a charm this time.Jennifer Love Hewitt really should be the go-to girl for romantic movies. She has the girl next door appeal that woman don't find threatening and men find attainable (think Meg Ryan). And, yes, women will swoon over Ian.From what I've been able to gather, this movie was released overseas theatrically, but was only on ABC Family in the United States. The fact that Amazon has it listed probably means there is a DVD release in the future and this one is well worth owning.

If you are suffering a loss of your own, this movie will not be good for you. I just watched it and now depressions is on me. I needed a happy ending. I guess people like to cry and like sad endings, but right now it would have been best if they had decided this one could do without all the tears. It could have gone either way, their choice, they made the wrong one for me. I knew long before it ended how it was going to end, maybe I am also able to see into the future. This is a good movie, but just be warned, if you are already emotional, make sure you watch it with a friend. Someone who can tell you it will be okay.

Incredibly moving, lighthearted at times, IF ONLY is one of those movies that brings about conflicting emotions at the same time. The story is quite simple: Samantha (Hewitt) is, as she put it, a very distant second in her boyfriend Ian's (Nicholls) life and she is tired of it. Ian loves her, to be sure, but does not act on it. When Samantha suddenly dies, Ian regrets everything he did--or rather, did not do--when he had the chance to. But then, the morning after, he wakes up and Samantha is at his side, as alive as anyone, and it dawns on him that he's been given a second chance. Life, destiny, whatever you call it, pressed the rewind button on his life and allowed him to finally appreciate her, to actually love her.I thought the movie was well done; like I said, very simple, nothing fancy. The leads fit their roles quite well. As a few reviewers have pointed out, Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't the greatest actress out there; however, in all the flicks I've seen her in, this was the one where she showed that she could actually act and do it well, given the right script, co-actors, director, etc. I found her very charming and likable in this movie. Paul Nicholls also gave a good performance as the cold, neglectful boyfriend; even more so when during the "rewind", as he finally opens up and drops all pretenses and just simply loves her.This is a sad love story; so if you're the type to cry at the littlest things, I'd say be prepared and watch this with a handkerchief or tissues nearby. You'll leave feeling a little sad and wistful but in a good way..

Whilst nowhere near as dodgy as that other London set Jenny Love Hewitt rom com/dram film, “The Truth about Love”, this film only gets three stars. Why? Because of the diabolical picture aspect ratio. 4:3?! Bleurgh! Also the subtitles are in yellow, admittedly by favourite colour, and they aren’t HOH/ SDH. Finally for a 96 minute film it does tend to drag. One note of interest here: there is one utterance of the ‘F’ word but in the subtitles it is the ‘D’ word. At least Jenny doesn’t attempt an English accent in this. And any film with the positively gorgeous Paul Nichols in has got to be worth a watch. Plus Tom Wilkinson is also in the film. If Only almost made me cry near the beginning. The film is similar to Groundhog Day and Sliding Doors, both vastly superior films. The ending was a downer. For fans of Jen’s it’s a no brainier. For everyone else it’s only watchable. Good. But not great. Still. It’s a trillion times better than that so-called ‘film’ with those ‘singers’. Y’know the one I mean.

In this 2004 romantic fantasy, work obsessed businessman Ian (Paul Nicholls) lives with his American musician girlfriend, Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) in London. The film opens by taking us through a day in Ian and Sam's life showing us a number of random events but they row that evening and Sam gets into a taxi and is involved in a freak accident and dies. Awaking the next morning he hears Sam talking to him, was it a nightmare or a premonition and what will he do with his re-run day, try to save her or prove he loves her?The film is light hearted and relaxing but can’t decide if it wants to be a comedy or not, but it’s main flaw is the original day is bland and there is little of interest in the first half [lose a *] and I found myself wondering why Sam is with him. It’s only in the second half that it really picks up but with some implausible UK time elements to include the beautiful Cumbrian scenery, it’s not until the final quarter that we finally understand what actually drives and motivates Ian.The single disc loads to a main menu offering play, subtitles [English, French, off] scene selections and previews [4 titles]. Rated as a PG 13 [12 on the cover] it contains some mild swearing, but there’s basically nothing offensive in this.It’s a kind of ’Groundhog Day’ meets ‘Sliding Doors’ or ‘Run Lola Run’ with overtones of the TV series ‘Life on Mars’, so if they interested you then this possibly might be for you. As an early evening or Sunday afternoon matinee, it works as a decent enough emotional ***** view, but if you’re expecting more then it’s more likely to be a ****. I will admit it’s more realistic than most for its genre and the final quarter was very emotional and entertaining.

Beautiful scenery great casting and well thought out story what more can you want?A sort of mix of Sliding Doors and Groundhog Day only better thought out.Basic story is that guy wakes up and has an important meeting to attend, after an unceccessful meeting he meets with his partner and has a row. His partner leaving in a rush gets into a cab and has a fatal accident. Without giving too much away he is advised by a cab driver that he has to appreciate his partner more and so when he wakes up and discovers her in his bed the next morning after initial frights he goes to all lengths to get out of London and appreciate his partner.Great film and fantastic sets and clues as to the end which is a real tear jerker.Well done all.

Such a wonderful movie. I did not check if it was 16:9 ratio when I ordered it and turns out it is 4:3 pan and scan. So will order a different version I guess. I kind of got a kick out of it, brought me back to the old VHS days. All that said the quality of the image was fine as was the audio. Delivery was quick, no complaints.

Having viewed the film first partly on tele, I was searching to review it. After a second view, the surprising plot and details are more touching, and some dialogues are worth while hearing a second time- the advantage of a DVD. I keep searching for the soundtracks, and am amused by the actress who has made also a musical career.