The chaos theory states that even the slightest detail, gesture, or occurrence can upset the entire order of the world. For example, it is said that “the beating of a butterfly’s wings over the Atlantic can cause a hurricane over the Pacific." This type of thinking provides the concept and theoretical basis for the more recent The Butterfly Effect, a film that toys with both the chaos theory and time travel. But sometimes, just under the awesome powers and inter-workings of the universe, a random chain of events can lead to something grand.
Happenstance is a picture that depicts how tons of tiny and seemingly insignificant happenings have the capability of culminating into a blissful sense of fortuity—that is, without mixing in or tinkering with any elements of science fiction.
The film shows six main characters and how they act, interact, and how each of the six’s actions relate and effect everyone else’s lives. At the beginning both Irene (Audrey Tautou) and Younes (Faudel), who are sitting near each other on the train, hear their same horoscope (Pisces) read aloud to them by another passenger; it reads that tonight they will encounter their soul-mate and fall in love under the stars, the full-moon, and the visible planet Venus. After their horoscopes are announced to them, a random and chaotic series of events takes place--mainly between the six central characters. Each and every event ultimately leads up to the predicted and predestined contingency between the two star-gazing and star-crossed lovers.
While Happenstance may appear at first glance to be a romantic comedy, it is not; it is simply an artistic look at how the succession of events and interactions can result in determining one’s unknown fate and fortune. The film’s ensemble cast of characters all undergo quirky, seemingly minute, and inventive affairs with each other throughout—creating a picture that will make you ponder at some points, and simply smile at others.
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