When you get an orchestral and operatic performance suddenly transform itself into X-factor with J.L. Hewitt, you know things are going down hill rapidly. The film begins with an opening sequence, that suddenly reminded me of Sliding Doors, which to an extent this film resembled. Sliding Doors had events occurring differently, with a slight time shift of a couple of minutes or so. If Only reiterates the same events of the previous day, with variations - a little like Groundhog Day, but with only one extra day. At one point, they seem to travel to Northern England or Scotland, climb a mountain, make love in a stone cabin and make it back plenty in time for a 7pm recital. Then again, time doesn't appear to have much of a say in the film, seeing as Nicholls manages to transform himself from a self-centred bastard to boyfriend of the year in a day, with just the odd shake of his head towards the impossibility of the temporal manoeuvrings. With the lame attempts at humour, the annoying cute smiles by Hewitt and the overacting by Nicholls, it's no wonder the taxi-driver drove out into traffic the second time around. Avoid like a car crash.
Review of If Only
