In a Day (2006)

Possible spoilers: If you enjoy watching men manipulate women, then this is the movie for you. It's supposedly a Pigmalian-save-the-day-type romance with a message about manipulative people, but the "hero" turns out to be one of the worst bullies of the lot.The supposed good guy does nothing but scheme to get this distressed girl to do everything HE thinks she should do and look the way HE thinks she should look so that he can feel better. He's meant to be a white knight of sorts, but he has zero empathy or listening skills or any clues about women. Among the bigger issues are smaller ones like: How in the world is hiking in a skirt and heels, especially when you're a having a bad day, a good idea? How is meeting someone else's family baggage an upper? Liking her as she was, lending a listening ear, letting her choose the activities, and letting her initiate change would have been the true heroic thing to do. His character was so unattractive that we couldn't invest any care in him. And she was so willing to be controlled, that we had a difficult time caring about her too.The crude vocabulary also tainted everything. We have a beautiful language! Let's be clever with it!

In this exceptionally touching romantic-comedy, there is but one kiss, at the very end of the movie. But it's as sincere and heartfelt as any you'll find in many other intensely romantic films. This is a production that you'd like to believe the characters are real somewhere in life. Lorraine Pilkington.. bit.ly/1cNd8Mq .. is a favorite UK actor, and she is absolutely wonderful in this role. There's little complication in the script.. it's a film you'll either find charming, or maybe just too simple. But for those that enjoy this kind of film making, this is an exceptionally good and well enacted story. It meanders through time at a pace that is soothing.

Ashley's day starts badly with an extended interaction with a male aggressor whom she walks away from. He throws hot coffee on her. Michael intervenes.Ashley and Michael are both out of work, and get to know each other over tea, then over clothes shopping for Michael's sister. This was at an haute couture establishment where they were the only customers. Michael pays for this. They have a decadent meal at his expense. Then he demonstrates his 'premonitions.'They visit Michael's sister on her not-so-happy birthday. They hike through an arboretum of some size, during which Michael carried Ashley pick-a-back. They talk and visit an old site of Michael's graffiti writing.Michael asks Ashley to decide the next thing that they together. She asks him to buy a used saxophone for her musician friend. They give the gift, and find out how her friend lost his earlier sax. Ashley sings and plays piano with her friend.They go for a drink. The man who started Ashley's day badly by throwing coffee on her is in the bar. Ashley points him out, then Michael observes him. Michael faces him down in a very public way, then returns to Ashley. Turns out the bad guy is a solicitor for abused women.Michael and Ashley have a beer, and Michael tells her why he wanted her to have a nice day. They had known each other as children. Michael had been rather bad to her then and was hoping to apologise to her now.Will Ashley sort this out? Will Michael let it go? ------Scores-------Cinematography: 8/10 A little fuzzy, but mostly good.Sound: 8/10 A bit soft on conversations, but mostly good.Acting: 8/10 Rather nice. The two principals were quite good.Screenplay: 10/10 Lovely story, well told.

I saw this movie last night at a preview showing in Claremont, CA and very much enjoyed it. The writer/director Evan Richards was there and answered questions afterward. He seems so young and unassuming to have the insight into life and relationships that his writing in this movie demonstrates, as well as the directing ability demonstrated by the fine acting. This man will go places! He introduced his mother who was in the audience and she seems like a delightful woman. He is from America but currently living in London, where the movie is set, and he commented that the city is like a character in the film. The vast majority of the audience stayed for the Q&A and seemed enthusiastic about the movie.