A Chance Encounter

Audience Reviews

View More

Ranny L @RT68152916 07/14/2025 I found this a very sweet and authentic story -- boy meets girl while traveling, they share a lot of the same values, both appreciate words/writing/music - spend time together enjoying each other's company and don't end up in bed together. What a novel idea. The story takes place in Taormina, where the guy is fulfilling a connection with his recently deceased mom and exploring his life as a writer - a long time dream. He unexpectedly meets a young woman who is a singer/songwriter and living there temporarily at her boyfriend's villa. The BF has left after a disagreement and she is trying to reinvent her music career. Of course, Taormina is one of the most beautiful places on the planet so when Josie offers to take Hal to places off the usual tourist route, he jumps at the opportunity and they both discover things about themselves and each other that reveal the substance of their being. The locations, including the church where where Michael Corleone was married in the Godfather, made me ache to return to Sicily. The two actors, Paul Peterson, who is also co-writer of the screenplay and Andrea Von Kampen who happens to be a singer / songwriter in real life, are delightfully charming in a very low keyed way. This film snuck up on me as I was meandering through the Netflix options, looking for a film that took place in Italy, as I recently reconnected with a long time friend who now lives in Sicily. It did not disappoint. And I booked a ticket to Italy this morning, which you might be inclined to do also after watching this. The film's message is about authenticity and following your heart. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST! See more Steve D @RT00865253 01/04/2025 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. See more Rick S @RT18181306 07/25/2024 Heartwarming - talented cast. See more Hilary @RT77257149 02/06/2024 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. See more Gary H @GaffaGuy 03/20/2023 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. See more Rob S @RobSenska 03/20/2023 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. See more Read all reviews

A Chance Encounter

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING