A young photographer (John Hartnett) is caught in an obsessive search for a woman (Diane Krueger) he fell deeply in love with - a woman who then vanished without a trace (if you’re me, this happens all the time). Two years after her disappearance, and engaged to another chick, he catches a fleeting glimpse of her in a local bar and begins a twisting search to find her and discover what really happened.

This movie asks you to really suspend rational thinking in such a short time. At the end of it you’re suppose to believe that true love is one karmic cycle in constant rotation, that true love will prevail in the face of adversity. Now I’m no love or romantic cynic, I’ve seen Sleepless in Seattle three times, but you’ve really got to make your case. You’ve got to not only make your case but be charming and sincere. Here it’s like someone had a good idea on the whole picture of things but forgotten to sew up the details, the really important details. Based on its use of non-linear narrative, having time jumps and lapses back and forth from flashback to present to flashback, the movie suffers from trying to be too clever without giving any reasons why it should be or selling me on why it should be.

All that to say, the movie visually looks great with its framing and colors, especially the split screen stuff. Director McGuigan clearly had an idea of what the film should look like but didn’t deliver on telling the story. Hartnett came through as a love lost and love struck leading dude bringing an earnest portrayal of someone caught with the fever of love (?!) occasionally giving into the audience question “What’s going on?” a few times in the flick. Diane Kruger is stunning and mysterious as the object of his affection (or obsession) and basically shows up to answer a few questions. Matt Lillard pops in to lighten things up when you’re feeling weighed down by the senseless confusion the flick lays on you. Bummer.