The Vow

Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...

The Vow is about a married couple that make it through a bad car accident, however, Rachel McAdam's character (the wife) experiences partial memory loss.  She can't remember her own husband.  As you can imagine, this would be just devastating for the husband, played by Channing Tatum.  Instead of dwelling on the bad, he sees it as an opportunity to make his wife fall in love with him all over again.  Does it work?

Well, the romantic in all of us would certainly hope so, but don't hold your breath.

So, I'm conflicted.  This film does not satisfy the romance genre as I would hope, because the ending is somewhat unconventional.  How do I explain without giving the ending away?  The resolution of the film is based on choice.  Usually, when you watch a romance, it is all about how the woman cannot live without the man or vice versa, therefore, lack of choice.  However, in this film, it's about how the woman takes her time and makes a choice.  This film takes a more individualistic approach to love, rather than all or nothing.  It takes its time with the circumstances.  You might say it is in fact more realistic in regards to love, than most films.  Because of this, I respect it.

Now, here's the problem.  For the same reason I respect the film, I also felt dissatisfied with it.  The ending was a let down, because there was no grand gesture. The ending, the conclusion, was just too simple.  It didn't match up.  It is almost as if the film rejected itself and tried to turn in to something else, just at the very end.  The ending was unfulfilled. You'll see what I mean if you go and see this film.   

Okay, so if I haven't confused you enough, let's move on to the technicalities of the film.  The acting from Channing Tatum wasn't completely horrible, but it wasn't anything to rave about either.  I didn't really care for him.  Every time he talks I want to yell at him, "Open your mouth! Relax your jaw!"  He's always mumbling his lines, and it pisses me off.
Rachel McAdams bothered me only during the cheesy (in love) scenes, because to me she played her character so cheesy that it came off as overacting.  I don't like when I have to be reminded that someone is trying to play a part.  With Rachel, I felt that way the most when she was acting in love.  I felt that way the least when she was confused and lost.  It seems she's better with drama.

As for the flow of the film, it was decent, nothing major to complain about.  Nothing else really stood out to me as bad or good - it all seemed passable otherwise.

I give this film 5.8/10.  I definitely won't remember it in a month's time.  P.S. I Love You is still the reigning champion for me.