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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Dear John (Film)

by Cara Nash | March 02, 2010 14:52 | Edited March 02, 2010 14:53

By the numbers romantic plotline? Sappy tearjerker? Must be another Nicholas Sparks adaptation

 

When the works of Nicholas Sparks are reduced to their basic elements, it becomes obvious how this author manages to churn out so many novels so quickly. His stories, which go on to be made into weepy screen adaptations, all contain the same formulaic plot turns, albeit in varying locations. Boy and girl meet from different sides of the tracks? Check. They become star-crossed lovers? Check. Moonlit walks on the beach? Check. A terminal illness? Check. His latest novel-turned-film Dear John does little to depart from this sappy formula.

 

Channing Tatum (Fighting, Stop-Loss, GI Joe) stars as John Tyree, a soldier who briefly returns to his home in South Carolina to spend time with his father. Whilst there he falls in love with Savannah, played by Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia, Mean Girls), who builds houses for charity, rides horses and aspires to teach autistic children. When their whirlwind courtship ends, they vow to write letters to one another until he leaves the service. However the events of 9/11 intervene and when John's brief tour of duty turns into an indefinite commitment, the question arises whether the two can keep their passion alive via old fashioned prose?

 

What seems missing in this often timidly told love story is the sweeping emotion that kept audiences of The Notebook so enthralled. Similarly, that film contained two stronger actors in Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. While Seyfried delivers a charismatic performance in Dear John, Tatum seems content to mope and brood rather than act. Despite their faults, the two do prove likeable leads.

 

Dear John is directed by Lasse Hallström who previously brought us such gems as What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and My Life As A Dog but seems to have settled into a career producing more mainstream crowd-pleasers like Chocolat and Casanova. He seems to have hit a particularly low note with Dear John. Even for fans of Sparks' material, the familiarity of Dear John may prove trying and while some may excuse this as easy escapism or a guilty pleasure, the film is ultimately too drowsy to be classed as either.