Para Sempre

When I went with my two friends to see this movie, I thought we were in for a ladies night out and a teary chick flick. I was pleasantly surprised. The drama and dialog were very believable and realistic, and it was pleasingly funny in places. The fact that the setting was clearly Chicago without any effort to try and hide street signs and restaurant placards only added to the charm and believability of the movie. Quickly into the film I was wishing I was friends with this couple and could hang out with them and be part of their lives. When the credits started rolling I desired our relationship to continue. O.k. maybe I had a couple of tears, but I would definitely see this movie again and take my husband. After seeing the number of men in the audience who enjoyed it, I think he would feel comfortable attending and glad that he went.

While reading up on "The Vow", I learned that professional reviewers didn't particularly care for this film. The same can be said for many of the IMDb reviews. While I would disagree, since I really enjoyed the film, I can certainly understand some of the dislike. For folks wanting a traditional romantic film, "The Vow" isn't exactly a date movie. A traditional date film has a formula--including a happy ending. And, oddly, the film ends on a hopeful but vague note--disappointing those needing the happy finale.

In addition to reading up on the reviews, I also looked into the story of Kimand Krickitt Carpenter--the couple whose real life story inspired this film. I say inspires because so much of the film is fictional and the religious faith of the Carpenters was omitted in "The Vow". It's sad, as although you don't want a preachy film, it's odd how in films today there is NO reference to God or almost none and this might have been an interesting addition to the movie.

Now on to the film. The story, if you don't know, is about a newly married couple who are in a terrible traffic accident. Leo (Channing Tatum) is okay but his wife, Paige (Rachel McAdams) is left in a coma. Oddly, when she awakens, she has a strange sort of amnesia where the most recent portion of her life is missing. This means she has no idea who her husband is and their time together is, naturally, quite uncomfortable and awkward. At the same time, Paige's no longer existent relationship with her parents is suddenly given a second chance and they work hard to recapture her love and make her the girl she used to be. What will become of poor Leo?

The two leads, McAdams and Tatum were quite good in the film and easy to watch. The script rather clever and enjoyable. And, overall I have very little negative to say about the film. Well worth seeing--just be forewarned that although there is a lot of romance in the film, it is not at all traditional or what you might expect from such a movie.

The Vow was made for the Valentine's Day audience. As I went into this movie on the evening of February 14th, the theatre was packed with couples. This movie gave them exactly what they paid for. There were plenty of cute moments that make you say, "ahhhhhh." There strange nostalgic moments that makes you realize exactly how much time Rachel McAdams forgot (wait for the moment when she turns to Channing Tatum and asks him who the President of the United States is).

This movie delivered for the audience at large. But several problems persist. For such a unique perspective on memory loss, The Vow falls into the flow of the average romantic comedy. As the core of the storyline develops (which strangely reminds me of Terri Schiavo), I can't help but feel like I have seen this before. There were so many interesting possibilities that a memory-loss movie could pursue. Instead, the writing team (which is known for big star movies such as He's Just Not That Into You and Valentine's Day) decides to take the safe route. The writing team stops this movie from being great.

Despite its problems, The Vow relies heavily on its actors. With Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill, and Scott Speedman (who I still see as the romantic interest from the TV hit "Felicity), relying so heavily on your actors is perfectly alright. Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum have a chemistry that I didn't expect. This chemistry drives the storyline forwards and leads to several dramatic and hilarious scenes that will surprise you.

I need to make a note about movies that are "Based on a True Story." It's difficult to take these story lines at face value. By basing a story on true events, the producers are hoping that you will not look too far into the plausibility of the situation. When you compare the movie with the true events, however, the differences are immense. Namely, the movie makes the crash result in one problem: the loss of several years of memories. In reality, the woman what badly hurt and also suffered from severe short term memory loss. The possibility of losing several years of memories and not haven't any other physical side-effects (aside form a tiny scar around her eyes) is almost entirely impossible.

The Vow is cute enough to enjoy at face-value. If you are looking for a movie to simply enjoy and not think too deeply, this is the movie for you. 2012 has been an awful year for Romantic Comedies. One for the Money was dreadful. This Means War promises to be almost as bad. If you are pining for a romantic comedy, this will fill your appetite until the first great one of the year is released. Looking over the list of romantic comedies to be released, however, there isn't much. My money is on the new American Pie movie.

Throughly enjoyable...except for the f*rt gag...And the f*rt gag is worth mentioning because it was foul.

Otherwise, switch off your brain and enjoy the gorgeous Channing Tatum laugh, cry and bare his beautiful buns -- and all in the name of love.

It's a film that doesn't bear much examination. It's a chick flick with a dumb heroine (why are they always artists???) who wouldn't know love unless it smacked her in the gob...which it eventually does.

The reveal where we find out why she originally changed so radically is like: Oh, get over yourself, girlfriend! The punishment hardly fits the crime...unless you're 12.

But who cares. It's a fairytale. And for me it worked.

In Chicago, Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) have just married and they are in love for each other. In a snowing night, they have a car accident and Paige has a serious head injury and stays in coma. When she awakes, she has partial recollection of her life until five years ago and she does not recognize Leo.

Her estranged parents Rita (Jessica Lange) and Bill Thornton (Sam Neill) use the unusual situation to bring Paige back home. Leo decides to woo her again to have his wife back, but her ex-fiancé Jeremy (Scott Speedman) is courting Paige and she does not know why she had broken with him.

"The Vow" is a cute movie based on a true story. The cast is great, with Jessica Lange, Sam Neill and Scott Speedman in supporting roles. The charming Rachel McAdams performs a character that had completely changed her personality from a silly Valley girl dominated by her wealthy parents to a cool artist, but after the accident she returns to her previous behavior; however the role of Leo deserved a better actor. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Para Sempre" ("Forever")