Le plus beau des chemins

And I don't think it's going to take any time at all for this hunk to be completely and absolutely known only for his own looks, talent, and fame rather than having the fact that he's Clint Eastwood's son being tacked on. Scott is good! Britt Robertson was nicely cast as Sophia, except I have to admit here that I kept seeing a young Renee Zellweger in the part– before the silly plastic surgery turned her into a total stranger. Or just strange. Whatever. Jack Huston was excellent as a young Ira and I think portraying the elderly Ira is one of Alan Alda's best roles. I was just expecting the usual chick flick - but not so. Rugged enough action with the bull riding to interest any guy, as well as a decent plot and all around good acting. To sum it up, this is a nicely done film and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

After an automobile crash, the lives of a young couple intertwine with a much older man, as he reflects back on a past love.

The latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation stars Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood. When it comes to Nicholas Sparks you're either in or out. Director George Tillman Jr. embraced the sanitized banality of Sparks world with a straight face. It's easy to tease those films. It's harder to admit that Sparks is very good at it. He's thoroughly uncynical about love and believes that love is so powerful that it can salvage lives and control the weather.

A significant part of the interest here surely lies in the film's role as a showcase for four moderately known actors. First Robertson, who co-stared in the highly anticipated Tomorrowland. She feels a little over the top, her character's reactions seem too much like movie reaction and not something we'll do in real life. Eastwood, in his first significant starring role, but his potential remains to be determined as he comfortably inhabits a western-style-character.

Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood The two of them have nothing in common except golden good looks and a fondness for looking at each other and grinning. Still, they do this well enough that we buy their chemistry. This time characters are keeping apart not by scheming bad guys or misunderstandings but by a genuine concern for one another's happiness. By contrast, Oona Chaplin, grand-daughter of Charles, is the sole younger actor to pop here. Playing the only one of these youthful characters with any boldness or inclination to speak her own mind. It goes without saying that the ladies in Sparks adaptations are all beautiful; but let's be honest, his films are better known for their man. From Gosling to Efron, Costner to Tatum , a romantic hero is the heart and soul of those movies.

Moreover, Nicholas Sparks adaptations are like Michael Bay's movies. You know exactly what you're going to see: a lot of explosions, high contrast, saturated colors and low framed angles of people stepping out of cars. In a NS movie you have old people talking about when they were young and they first met the love of their life and how sad and tragic that is. Plus, young people who want to fall in love but can't because life is tough and something is in the way.

Director makes full use of the lights, black leather and glamour of this modern breed of Rock & Roll riders. The settings and compositions are picture-postcard. For the most part, it's a well directed movie with sold performances. The cinematography is good. It's a good movie that we've seen a million times before, just repackaged with a different structure.

Finally, as usual the ending, in Sparks world, when happiness rains, it pours!

Overall, a good romance never hurst anyone and ultimately can make us endure an implausible plot.

Enjoyable tearjerker flick paralleling modern love story between bull rider and college student with that of an older gentleman who is on his deathbed. I personally thought that the story of the older couple was more developed and less cliché. The plot is overall enjoyable. The cinematography of North Carolina mountains is beautiful. My favorite scene was the last bull riding scene which is in slow motion and uses punchy bass (only real use of LFE effects in the movie).

On a personal note, I was saddened to read that Rango the Bull passed away after shooting the movie but before the film was released. Apparently he was a real life superstar in the rodeo circuit.

If you enjoyed other Nicolas Sparks movies, you will enjoy this one. It is heartwarming and one with integrity that depicts what it is to love someone unconditionally. It is a sweet, and sensual romance of a young couple struggling to come together while each follows their dreams. Sophia, wants to follow her passion of art, and Luke, follows his passion as the world's best bull rider. Their love story is entwined with the memories of a relationship of love long ago, told and acted by Alan Alda, who plays Ira, as he reads letters he wrote to his dear wife, Ruth. The scenery of the movie is lovely, the bull riding is exciting, the script, thoughtful and touching. Have Kleenex on hand, you will cry. At the end of this movie the audience clapped because it was good all the way through.