Month: December 2021

Today’s quick review: P.S. I Love You. Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) are a young, loving couple with their whole lives ahead of them. But their future together is cut tragically short when Gerry dies from a brain tumor. Holly wallows in grief until Gerry sends her one last gift from beyond the grave: a series of letters that help her enjoy her life, remember their time together, and ultimately move on.

P.S. I Love You is a romantic comedy about a woman trying to recover from the death of her husband. Hilary Swank stars as Holly Kennedy, who’s left to pick up the pieces of her life with the help of her mother Patricia (Kathy Bates), her friend Daniel (Harry Connick, Jr.), and the letters left by Gerry. P.S. I Love You is an optimistic movie that looks at the grieving process, the moments that make a relationship, and the lingering impact of love.

P.S. I Love You strikes a nice tonal balance. The humor is spontaneous and imperfect, playing naturally off the characters and their quirks. The drama is moving without ever getting too bleak. Holly and Gerry are an odd couple but a believable one, and the pain Holly feels at the loss of her husband is one of the clearest wins for the movie. The movie also does a few clever things with its premise, taking Holly and the viewer on a miniature adventure.

The catch is that all of this results in a movie that’s highly subject to taste. The premise can be overly sentimental or even a little morbid for the wrong viewer. The humor is funny enough in the moment, but it doesn’t have the timeless quality of true classics. The lead couple won’t click for some people, particularly Gerry’s devil-may-care attitude and Holly’s awkward, halting as she tries to move on.

P.S. I Love You is a solid pick for fans of romance. The combination of a touching premise and irreverent humor lets it hit a wide range of emotional notes, while its capable script and likable lead couple help it live up to the promises it makes. The movie has enough idiosyncrasies that it will simply fall flat for some viewers, but it gets enough right that anyone interested should give it a shot.

For a more varied perspective on love, try Love Actually. For another romance about a dead loved one, try Ghost.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for well-rounded romance.

Today’s quick review: Dear John. While on leave at home in Charleston, John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a soft-spoken soldier, meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), a kind-hearted college student. Over the course of two weeks together, John and Savannah fall deeply in love, promising to wait for each other during the remaining year of John’s enlistment. But as the distance begins to wear on them, their relationship threatens to fall apart.

Dear John is a romantic drama about a couple kept apart by the man’s military service. Channing Tatum stars as John Tyree, whose love for Savannah is put to the test by long months away from her on active duty. Amanda Seyfried co-stars as Savannah, a sweet young woman who sees the best in John. Dear John is a heartfelt movie about a love and separation. Detailed characters and a steady presentation style make it a solid entry into the romance genre.

Dear John is a romance through and through. The story deals almost exclusively with the relationships between its characters, beginning with John and Savannah but extending to John and his father (Richard Jenkins) as well. The characters are idealized in some ways, but the movie spends enough time with them to make them feel real. Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried complement each other in a natural way that doesn’t rely on banter or gimmicks.

Dear John does better with individual scenes than with its story as a whole. Heartfelt performances, a soft soundtrack, and subtle choices in how to convey John and Savannah’s relationship all lead to an effective romance on a scene-to-scene basis. But the story will strike some viewers as odd. The movie relies on soft drama to keep John and Savannah apart, and the pacing of their relationship will seem odd to anyone not used to the genre.

Dear John is a solid pick for those in the mood for something tender and romantic. The movie is not as inspired as the greats of the genre, and the way its plot is structured keeps it from having the same emotional impact as some of its peers. But the skill behind its acting and presentation is enough to make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre. Those who dislike sentiment for its own sake will want to steer clear.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a capable romance that’s missing the story choices needed to take it farther.

Today’s quick review: What Women Want. Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), a smooth-talking ad executive, has always had a way with women. But as charming as he can be, he doesn’t understand the way women think, at least until a freak accident leaves him with the ability to hear women’s thoughts. Nick uses his power to undermine his new boss, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), but in the process finds himself developing a new perspective on life.

What Women Want is a romantic comedy about a man forced to get in touch with his feminine side. Years of caddish behavior have left Nick Marshall with a comfortable job in advertising and fraying relationships with every woman in his life, including his daughter Alexandra (Ashley Johnson). The movie follows the drastic shifts in Nick’s personal life, career, and behavior when he finally gets firsthand knowledge of what they’re thinking.

What Women Want makes good on its premise. Nick’s mind-reading ability is integral to the plot and his transformation as a person. It ties in well with his job in advertising, and it adds layers to what would otherwise be an antagonistic relationship with Darcy, his boss and rival. The movie lets Nick use and abuse his power in a wide range of scenarios, and in doing so it covers a large cross-section of interpersonal relationships.

Going beyond its premise, What Women Want is a simple, solidly constructed comedy. The story doesn’t pack any real surprises, but it has enough variety for it to feel worthwhile, even at its most predictable. Mel Gibson is a good fit for the role of Nick, capturing the highs and lows of his character quite nicely. The jokes flow naturally from the characters and the premise, and they mainly deal with Nick talking his way into and out of problems.

Still, What Women Want won’t be for everyone. The movie relies heavily on Mel Gibson’s performance, and viewerse who aren’t at least a little bit amused by his charm won’t get much from the experience. The movie tries to keep an even hand when commenting on the relationsip between men and women, but the topic won’t appeal to some viewers. What Women Want is also missing the emotional resonance of a more dedicated romance.

What Women Want is a fun pick for viewers in the mood for a light, original comedy that actually explores its premise in some depth. Its lead character and general story will be hit-or-miss, but anyone who likes Mel Gibson or romantic comedies in general should give it a shot. For another romantic comedy about a shallow womanizer given a supernatural chance to mend his ways, try Ghosts of Girlfriends Past or The Family Man.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an original premise and a solid script.