Chances Are

Directed by Emile Ardolino, Chances Are follows Robert Downey Jr.’s Alex Finch as he finds himself falling for the mother (Cybill Shepherd’s Corinne Jeffries) of a fetching fellow student (Mary Stuart Masterson’s Miranda)  – with complications ensuing after it becomes clear that Alex is inhabited by the soul of Corinne’s dead boyfriend (Christopher McDonald’s Louie). It’s a fairly unique premise that’s employed to watchable yet consistently erratic effect by Ardolino, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by Perry Howze and Randy Howze, delivers a sluggishly paced endeavor that does, at 108 minutes, feel like it could (and should) have been seriously streamlined – with the padded-out vibe wreaking havoc on the narrative’s periodic attempts at slapstick comedy (ie the picture feels like it should be much funnier, ultimately). There’s little doubt, then, that Chances Are benefits substantially from the engaging, charismatic efforts of its various performers, and it’s clear, too, that the inclusion of a small handful of genuinely amusing sequences, including a couple of solid fish-out-of-water set-pieces, perpetuates the movie’s mostly affable, amiable atmosphere – with the end result a decent-enough piece of work that is, unfortunately, rarely as spellbinding as one might’ve hoped.

**1/2 out of ****