With these reviews, they'll vary from film to film and person to person, but generally, expect a paragraph or so on the synopsis of the film, followed by a paragraph or two on our thoughts on what was offered. But that's about it; a quick rundown for you to glance at before opting for that rental.
So anyway, it may not be the best film to kick off this segment, but nonetheless, I'm going to start it off with my rundown on "The Vow" after the break.
"The Vow" is a romantic drama that stars Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. The two are happily married when all of the sudden a car accident leaves McAdams without any memories from the last five or six years. Unfortunately, that's the entire span of time she's lived in her current city and since met her husband. The problem is that she falls right back into her unfulfilling, rich-kid lifestyle with her friends and family (the last times she can remember). This doesn't sound to bad, but there was reason she left it all in the first place. Anyway, Tatum's character is in love with her so much that he's determined to get her to fall in love with him again. The problem is, she's back to a point in her life where she really wasn't into the kind of person he was - instead, she's more interested in her slimy ex-fiance. The film is Tatum's fight to get the woman he's in love with to fall in love with him again; and her struggle to find the life she previously had all over again.
Look, I know the trailers looked cheesy. I know it looks like it's just a film for women to group together and watch, have a good cry, and talk about how the men in their lives don't measure up to Tatum. But honestly, there's more to offer than that. I'm not saying if you're a single dude hanging out by yourself some night that you're probably going to want to take this one in. But the story is actually pretty decent, and it doesn't offer as many cheesy moments as I would have expected. The dialogue isn't perfect, but it's really not noticeably bad either. And while I have a new interest in Tatum and his career, I still don't really need him in these types of movies. You've proved you're good with comedies, don't go backwards. That being said, he's not as bad here as I expected he'd be. And Sam Neill makes a nice appearance as McAdams' father too.
The movie provides an interesting concept to ponder, and is presented in a way much less expected than you'd think. Here's the thing, I'm not pining to watch this movie again anytime soon, but I wouldn't be against it either. It's a fresh-feeling take on the type of genre, with rootable characters in both McAdams and Tatum that you really want to see end up together. At the end of the day, it's still a romantic drama - a genre I'm not particularly into regardless of its content - but it's presented in a fresh, fun, light-on-cheese fashion. It doesn't offer anything new or exciting to filmmaking, but it was an acceptable entry.
Bottom line: If you're really looking for a film of this style to watch with your significant other that you know she'll love, you won't be as disinterested with this film as you'd probably think. While this is still going to appeal to woman much more than it does men, both sides I think can appreciate the story here.
