Como Se Fosse a Primeira Vez

Okay, so "50 First Dates" is mostly silly, but they do a good job with it. Honolulu veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) falls for Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), only to find out that, due to an accident, her memory only lasts one day, so she won't remember him the next day! How will Henry cope with this? The movie gravitates between goofy and sensitive, but never gets mind-numbing; Adam Sandler always has something up his sleeve, and he and Barrymore have a great time with the material. As is often the case in Adam Sandler's movies, one of the characters is an embarrassment to everyone else (in this case, it's Rob Schneider as Henry's whacked-out friend Ula). Great fun.

Oh, and one more thing: don't watch "50 First Dates" if you haven't seen "The Sixth Sense" first.

This is an excellent movie-I enjoyed every moment of it. The dialogue is sharp, the events unfold nicely, and the ending ties everything together. In short, this is a movie that deserves to be remembered.

Sure, there are a few missteps, like the scenes that *could've* been funny (the penguin scene, for example). But the Hispanic character really stood out; his presence added a lot to the film.

Bottom line: give this movie a shot. It's both hilarious and fantastic.

The basic storyline of 50 First Dates: Henry Roth lives in Hawaii and spend his time wooing women who are visiting the island, simply because there is little chance of commitment. Then he meets Lucy Whitmore. One day they hit it off, and the next she doesn't even recognise him. It turns out that she suffers from short-term memory loss, and every day he tries to win her over once more. Firstly, I have to say that 50 First Dates is a really funny film. It isn't overly stupid, but it's not subtle either. But underneath the humour is where I believe this film's true beauty lies. It shows love in a way that I have never seen in another film before. From the way that her family sacrifices everything to keep her happy, and blissfully unaware of her condition, to Henry who, despite the fact that he could have just about any woman that he wanted, decides that he wants to be with Lucy, regardless of the fact that he has to meet her for the first time every day. Henry's character undergoes somewhat of a transformation in front of our eyes. The film starts off with him coming across as somewhat of a pig (well, to us women anyway :)), and by the end of the film, we truly admire him. He even sacrifices his dream so that he can be with Lucy, and help her to move on with her life. The film isn't really predictable, either. For example, I spent the entire films assuming that the ending would be somewhat different. Although romcoms almost always have happy endings, this one damn near had me in tears. And it wasn't even sad. I never knew what a feel-good film was until I saw this...highly recommended.

6 July 2004. After a rather lame beginning that reflects the old Adam Sandler's more obnoxious character that he was well noted for, the movie eventually settles down to a rather innovative, creative, entertaining movie that captures the lovely and seasoned acting of Drew Barrymore and a maturing comedian Adam Sandler. While not much in the way of character depth nor real substance, this lightweight but clever movie plays on Groundhog Day and other Momento devices that contribute to a rather fun and enjoyable movie.

Hopefully Drew will begin to expand on her future roles and Adam will begin to enter into a Tom Hanks, Robin Williams maturity phase that will really demonstrate what Adam is made of.

This is quite simply a very enjoyable film. It's not, perhaps, a great film, but it is fun and it left me feeling pleasantly content. Basically this is a romantic comedy about a man (Henry) and a woman (Lucy) who meet and fall in love, there is just one problem: Lucy won't remember, tomorrow.

It is easy to pick holes in films and yes there are things wrong with this film:-

• The first 5 to 10 minutes do seem a little out of place: I understand the need to set the scene, but couldn't help feeling that the pace and characterisations didn't quite fit with what was to come.

• Some of the characters take away from the story: Doug (Sean Astin) is a little over done and comes across as more damaged than his sister. Perhaps the worst, though, is Henry's female (?) assistant: this character was a mistake and did not belong in the film.

In the end, these flaws don't matter: the film is enjoyable and that is what counts.

The plot, even if somewhat contrived, is clever and in the context of the film believable: there is a good beginning, middle and surprisingly satisfying end. Some of the difficult aspects of the film are not ignored but properly dealt with. Clearly it is easy to read a sordid side into the idea of a man meeting a beautiful woman each day in the knowledge that she will forget everything and they can start again tomorrow. This is covered and Henry is asked some pointed questions; without giving anything away, his answers worked and leave us, the audience, able to enjoy the film, without any unpleasant nagging doubts or feelings of guilt.

Don't analyse or pick holes; just watch this film. Chances are very good that you will enjoy it. It is a fantasy a bit of escapism: a first rate piece of entertainment and hopefully it will leave you, as it did me, feeling pleasantly content.