A rom-com, with time travel! That may be an acceptable premise to label this film with. Made in 2001, only a little over a decade ago, Kate & Leopold may not be as classic and as well-aged as other pieces we drag out of the vault. It is still possible to find people who remember this one, who are maybe even fans of it. Yet again however, I choose to highlight the virtues of this film because I fear it is rapidly dwindling into the dark shadowy corners of the genre archives, three shelves back into DVD collections; into the almost forgotten faded memories of audiences. That I feel would be a shame. Taken as one of the million romantic comedies ever made, or perhaps as a mere, and sometimes simply plotted, time-bending piece maybe, but put these, and various other elements together and for me this film has the makings of something of a classic in years to come.
Filmed after Meg Ryan achieved global fame in films such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and
You’ve Got Mail (cynics would say she’s not really bucking
the trend here) and just as Hugh Jackman was about to launch into a blockbuster
career playing Wolverine in the X-Men franchise,
and enjoying all that followed. This leading pair has, or had numerous
glittering film credits to their names, so I suppose it is easy for even the
most die-hard Ryan or Jackman fans to forget this little nugget. Yet forgotten
it should not be, for the chemistry between these two throughout is no less
than sizzling. Throughout the journey their characters go on, Ryan’s Kate McKay
initially steering clear of Jackman’s seemingly insane Leopold, time travelling
Duke of Albany from 1876. Yet, perhaps predictably but still enjoyably, they
transcend boundaries of context, custom, mindsets and centuries to eventually
live lovingly and happily ever after.
Fine. Audiences used to this type of film go away happy,
perhaps shedding the odd tear. What makes this film so appealing to a greater
audience in my view are the other aspects and ideas that decorate this central
romantic core. Firstly in sheer terms of acting ability one cannot fail to
appreciate Hugh Jackman’s performance. At this point in his career, people
would have probably only known him as the iconic Marvel comics hero Logan a.k.a
Wolverine, as the first X-Men film
had been released the previous year in 2000. Here mainstream film audiences got
to experience, perhaps for the first time, Jackman’s worthy range as an actor.
Leopold’s charm, romanticism, bravery, character clash and comedy moments did
nothing but showcase Jackman’s ability as an actor and can only have helped
increase the amounts of glowing popularity he has to this day.
Meg Ryan’s response to him is great at several instances too.
Opposite Jackman, she perhaps is not presented as such a sycophantic
one-dimensional character as critics of her previous work have suggested.
Indeed for me, this pairing works wonderfully well. What’s more a supporting,
but wonderfully measured and powerful performance from Liev Schreiber is not to
be overlooked. Interestingly Liev Schreiber would go on to star opposite Hugh
Jackman again to massive acclaim as Wolverine’s nemesis Sabretooth in 2009.
Add to this surprisingly well played romantic comedy, the
slightly mysterious, edgy, and exciting world of time travel and this film is
just about made. Time travel is not presented in a massively sci-fi-esque,
light saber filled, Doctor Who – style way, but instead is subtly employed for
an intriguing beginning, a romantic end, and of course the key mechanism to
bring our two lovers together. All this serves to present a film that I
certainly do not feel should be overlooked, in term of the careers of its
stars, of an example of the genre, or just as an incredibly approachable, and
enjoyable light-hearted film.
