Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- witty
- energetic
- date night
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the cast and Danny Boyle’s stylish direction appealing but judged the contrived story and unstable tonal mixture unsuccessful.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
O'Reilly and Jackson are angels assigned to manipulate Robert and Celine into falling in love.
The film combines hostage comedy, chase mechanics, romance, karaoke, and angelic fantasy in an intentionally heightened register.
Robert, a fired cleaning man, kidnaps his wealthy boss's daughter after being replaced by a robot.
British director Danny Boyle and writer John Hodge frame Los Angeles through an irreverent, heightened foreign perspective.
Films like A Life Less Ordinary, and why
Roxanne
stylish romantic comedy blending crime caper energy, heightened fantasy, and mismatched-couple chemistry
Down by Law
offbeat romance with screwball humor, criminal complications, and an unlikely pair at its center
Defending Your Life
playful fantasy romance using supernatural intervention to reshape an initially adversarial relationship
True Romance
quirky crime-romance tone, eccentric characters, and heightened comic violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Danny Boyle
- Release Date
- 1997-10-24
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (514)
Cast
- Ewan McGregor
- Cameron Diaz
- Holly Hunter
- Delroy Lindo
- Ian Holm
- Maury Chaykin
- Dan Hedaya
- Stanley Tucci
- Ian McNeice
- Tony Shalhoub
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Life Less Ordinary about?
- A fired Los Angeles cleaner kidnaps his employer’s daughter, only to have two meddling angels turn their ransom ordeal into an anarchic romance.
- What is A Life Less Ordinary like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Life Less Ordinary as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Life Less Ordinary violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Life Less Ordinary as mild.
- What did critics think of A Life Less Ordinary?
- Critics generally found the cast and Danny Boyle’s stylish direction appealing but judged the contrived story and unstable tonal mixture unsuccessful.
- Which films are like A Life Less Ordinary?
- Films with a similar feel include Roxanne, Down by Law, Defending Your Life, and True Romance.
- How long is A Life Less Ordinary?
- A Life Less Ordinary runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Life Less Ordinary?
- In United States, A Life Less Ordinary is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home, Apple TV Store.
