Love Potion No. 9 (1992) Dale Launer WK

William Klingbeil

Love Potion Number Nine (1992) Review

Love Potion Number Nine (1992) directed by Dale Launer, is a romantic comedy that relates to me in a few ways and uses many filming techniques that enable me to infer certain things about the film before they occur.

The parallel editing in the beginning of the movie gave me the sense that both Diane and Paul were meant for each other. Each shot is composed similarly during the scene where the two characters go home. First both of them have Einstein posters behind their front door. Second they both arrive to an empty house with no new messages on the answering machine. This gives the audience the sense that they are both losers. The similarity between both characters gave me the sense that they were both meant for each other and that the whole movie would revolve around the twos relationship.

I find it interesting how in every movie there is a point at which the story dips and there is doubt that the film will have a happy ending. This point always occurs about three quarters of the way through the film. In Love Potion Number Nine (1992) Diane falls in love with Paul and all is going well until one day Paul can’t find her. She ends up falling in love with Gary. I was able to predict this moment because every thing was going too perfectly to be true. This is a common reoccurrence in almost all films and is the reason why it was so predictable

The fact that both characters were scientists enabled me to relate to them and a few of the jokes that occurred in the film. There is a common stereotype that is portrayed in the film, which is the assumption that most scientists are nerdy, and antisocial people. Many times this stereotype is true. Mostly because those who have majors in the sciences spend a lot more time to studying and less time socializing.

I believe that the overall thematic message of the film is that no matter what kinds of forces try to keep love at bay, true love will always find a way. Even though the love potion tricked Diane into thinking that she loved Gary, in the end the Diane and Paul find each other. The love potion number nine helped to bring the two lovers back together.