A Chance Encounter

A Chance Encounter is a movie on Prime. I should add that it is not highly rated so this is not a favorite of the average American. It is quite the opposite of the adenine fueled Yellowstone, or most network TV for that matter. Nothing happens except the interaction of two people as they get know each other. And yet, I've watched it several times. It reminds me of, say, its cousin, one of my favorite movies, certainly my favorite "Indy" movie (low budget, natural lighting): Once. In Once, we have two characters brought together by circumstances and music. While I am not a fan of musicals, I find that I am drawn to films immersed in music, or better yet, actually performed by musicians. In this, the song "Falling Slowly" was masterfully performed live and essential to the story of the film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Another similarity of the two movies is that both have central protagonists that are not actors. In A Chance Encounter, we have two artists, a poet and a folk singer (Andrea von Kamper in real life) slowly revealing themselves to each other, in large part via their art, as they enjoy the beauty and charm of Sicily. Creating art is central to the movie, not only in the search for inspiration, but in the vulnerability an artist can have in revealing their art. As our couple spend time together they appear to become enchanted with each other, but like in Once, nothing is overt, and their paths have uncertain destinations--and I might add, just like the two protagonists from Sofia Coppola's brilliant Lost in Translation. Andrea's music is really good, really, really good, and adds much to the feel of the movie—so much so that I’ve been listening to her music ever since. It is good to see that original, talented folk singers still can be heard.

Heartwarming - talented cast.

It was refreshing to watch a movie based on friendship and the intricacies of the fine line between friendships and romantic relationships. Andrea von Kampen's voice and songwriting is amazing and Paul Petersen's writing and poetry were superb. I also loved the editing and directing. The acting was stilted and not that great, but I still liked the characters.

I saw this on Plex and wasn't really sure, but I ended up liking it a lot! The music is incredible and the lead guy looks so much like Chris Pratt from Parks and Rec! And now I want to go to Italy and shove pasta in my face, seriously people check it out.

Caught this on a recent flight and was absolutely charmed! I'm a huge fan of Once and it's not at that level, but still a really fun watch and fantastic music.

I was looking through the cheesy movies on amazon prime... your normal run of the mill, formulaic hallmark type movie. Then chanced upon this, thinking nothing of it.. just a movie that wouldn't challenge or suffer if i picked up the phone and wasted some time. This was an incredibly charming surprise. Two unknown actors with warmth and genuine chemistry, slowly bonding against a backdrop of Sicilian beauty. Not the kind of music i would normally care for, came alive! This movie is an absolute gem.. the actors incredibly warm and touching. I really hope Von Kompan pursues acting as well as music. She has raw, impish charisma that radiates. Sit down, draw the curtains, pour a glass and relax into this absolute beauty of a movie.

A refreshingly enjoyable film that made a boring long haul flight a memorable one! Andrea Von Kempel's performance was memorising and very refreshing and what could so easily have been a very cheesy film was a heartwarming one! I was surprised to find that Andrea is truly a singer songwriter which I found out from the film's credits and I am now a fan! Her haunting voice is memorising! I am a hard bitten cynic and very rarely write reviews however this film is one to watch for pure heart warming self indulgence and relaxation!

I really enjoyed the unconventional nature of the romance in this film. It has some very strong Before Sunset vibes, beautifully shot, well directed and an amazing soundtrack that drives the narrative, flowing in and out of scenes almost like a dream.

Full disclosure, I know several of the people involved in making this film. That said, I am also not a romantic, however, I really enjoyed this film. Although I probably wouldn't have watched it otherwise, I found this film to be charming. I loved that the two main characters were ordinary people. To me, that added to the realism of the film. I like watching films with stars, but sometimes I like my characters relatable and I found these two characters absolutely so. Their story and reality remind me of the down-to-earth regular Joe characters from Once. Even though the story got me, what I really want to comment on is the cinematography. This film is absolutely gorgeous. I have never been to the sites, but I feel like I have after watching this film. The locations completely breathe with color and personality. I would not feel it is stretching credulity to say that the locations are welcome characters to this story. If you want to see paintings coming alive on film, this is a magnificent choice to explore. The use of light and the natural backgrounds just make this all the more sumptuous.

This is a breath of fresh air after so many self-important films being discussed during award season. It wears the filmmaker and cast's hearts on its sleeve, letting you feel like life can change at any moment. It's also a reminder that being in a romantic place doesn't always provide the solution for an artist. Time and other people guide us, not the beautiful landscapes we visit.