The Vow.
I'm not a big expert in these romance films. I haven't even seen the entirety of The Notebook. The last type of these films that I reviewed was One Day and I thought it was a pretty lame movie. What I do know is that I believe in love and I ain't afraid to tear up. I mean hell, the trailer for Titanic in 3D before this film almost moved me to tears because I am such a sucker for that movie. And while The Vow didn't move me to tears, it did get to me.
If you don't know, the movie is based on a true story, although certain Hollywood changes have been made to the story I'm sure. This couple meets by pure chance, or fate, and they quickly fall in love. They eventually get married and are living a happy life together. That is, until a car rear-ends them at a stop sign and sends Paige (Rachel McAdams) through the windshield resulting in her losing her memory of the past several years. When she wakes, she has no memory whatsoever of her husband, Leo (Channing Tatum).
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| Fantastic on-screen chemistry |
From here, the movie pans out as you would expect: Leo tries to assist his wife in remembering their past and the love they had. There are times when it gets sad, but there are also plenty of happy times throughout that remind the audience of the love that these two people have and the chemistry that McAdams and Tatum have. And that right there is the pivot of ANY romance movie. If there is chemistry you have a movie. If there isn't, you have a dud. And if you have Leonardo and Kate you have a classic. Haha but enough of Titanic. The Vow is a movie that is decided whether it is going to work or not in the first few minutes. You don't care if she doesn't remember their love if you don't feel any love in the first place. And kudos to McAdams and Tatum who play off of each other and make you believe that they are very, very in love.
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| Hey look! It's me kissing Rachel McAdams! (I was Channing Tatum's kissing double cause Im really good at it) |
I swear that Rachel McAdams could make anyone fall in love with her. I mean I'm practically in love with her, she just portrays love and affection so perfectly. And Channing Tatum plays a devoted husband far better than I ever thought he would be able to. Sure he delivers some lines sounding like a neanderthal, but when it counts, his devotion to his wife astounds me. I was truly heartbroken for him at a couple points and it's to Channing's credit for converting that devotion into the way that he displays an unending love for his wife.
The movie also poses an interesting scenario if you really think about it like I did. I found myself at various points in the movie placing myself in the shoes of either Leo or Paige. How would it feel to do something simple that usually excites the person you love only to have them jump in repulsion when you try it again? I know I would be crushed and confused. How would you feel if a strange person who is supposedly your spouse made a slight advance on you? I would be highly uncomfortable. What would you do if you woke up and couldn't remember why you made some of the important choices that you made in your life? Would you have the confidence in yourself to still believe in those choices? What would you do if the person you love woke up and was a person that you had never met before? All of these are crazy scenarios to consider, and I pray that I will never have to answer them, but they make you wonder how far you would go for someone you love.
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| Really well done wedding scene in the movie. Just one more plus to add to the list. |
The only part about the movie that I didnt like were some of the characters were poorly chosen (the guy that we love from Jurassic Park playing a mean, slimey dad? I dont think so.). But the thing that really got me was just how frustrating it was at times. I just wanted her to remember who she was and who she loved because of the insane amount of effort that Leo puts into taking care of her. And then there are times where Paige acts completely selfish and it just really irked me the wrong way a couple times. I would have been ok with this a few times, but it seems like the movie (at least in the middle) just copies and pastes these portions for various scenarios in their everyday lives.
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| Yep. I would marry her. |
But ultimately these are small complaints for a movie that tells a story that inspires. It inspires those who are in love with someone to keep the promises they have made to each other no matter what pain may come. It inspires those who aren't in love to not cop-out for something physical, but to hold on for someone that you can make those promises to.
That is a vow that I will gladly take.
Pros:
- Tells a great story about real, all-encompassing love and the lengths of effort that that particular type of love deserves
- Fantastic chemistry of McAdams and Tatum. I might ask her to marry me in real life and I felt so bad for Tatum at times
- Plays out realistically. The ending will anger some thinking it is a cop-out, but its well done
- Smart dialogue makes these two seem like a real couple with a real past and real characteristics specific to their relationship
- The wedding scene was fantastic. I really enjoyed its quirkiness
- The ending scene was cliche but I dont care, I loved it
Cons:
- Some of the additional characters (friends of the couple and Paige's family) are poorly portrayed/acted. In a movie with a real-feeling relationship, they did not feel real, they felt like caricatures
- Just so frustrating which is the sadness of the situation I guess. You just want her to remember so badly!
- The repeat scenarios of her trying to remember with Leo's help and not remembering get old after a while
Rath's Review Score: 8/10
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