O Melhor de Mim

The stage curtains open ...

Continuing my journey of films from the past that I've never seen before, I found this one - "The Best of Me". The description simply read that two former high school sweetheaerts reconnect years later in their hometown. Seeing that it starred Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden, I was all-in. Sounded like a nice, quiet and warm film to get behind and enjoy for a couple of hours. Well, that was about half right.

When both Dawson Cole and Amanda Reynolds are informed of a close friend's death, they make their way back to where they grew up to attend the reading of his last will. Neither one expected to see the other some 20 years later, and past flames and old wounds are re-opened as they go through the emotional experience of reliving their passionate past and dealing with the reality of their modern day lives. They find out that simmering beneath the surface are a lot of unresolved feelings leading to a decidedly final conclusion.

I was really enjoying this movie. I thought the characters and plot were very strong with solid acting and a fitting soundtrack. We are given snippits of their past with flashback scenes that really added to the story. And then heading into the third act, this film seriously derails into such ridiculous events that just about ruined the whole thing for me. And the final resolution is meant to make you feel wonder and awe and all I could think was, "this is B. S."

I hated the ending. This is one of those rare movies where I loved it and I hated it. So, I have to rate it right down the middle. If you are into an over-the-top, melodramatic twist ending, then you might like this one. Overall, it was entertaining, well paced, and well acted. I can't recommend it though. I don't know ... maybe a 2nd viewing might change my mind, but I doubt it.

... which may not necessarily be a good thing.

Oddly, you divide the two almost at the midway point, that is, the one hour mark.

The first movie is a really sweet love story about lost love. It features a lot of flashbacks but luckily the actors playing the flashbacks and the actors playing 'real time' are all very competent, do a great job,the script works well, and the audience has a fun ride.

If the first hour were a movie on its own, I would give it a very strong rating.

However almost at the turn of the second hour (two hours BTW is much too long for this story) the connection between audience and viewer (this important factor discussed in many of my IMDb reviews) starts to fade as many story complications set in. And the script becomes lost in the various arcs.

I will not go into the complications but let me say that by the "climax" of the last Act the viewer may wonder if he/she dozed off and woke up in front of the TV watching an episode of JUSTIFIED. Enough said.

If the second hour were a movie on its own, I would give it a very low rating.

As an entire movie as it now stands, this film can be a rough ride for the viewer, and that is not a good thing.

Notes:

* always happy to see Michelle Monaghan, an actress under-used these days. Real star quality.

* Liana Liberato has a nice career ahead and better still actually looks like a young Michelle Monaghan, which is more than I can say of the casting choices for the male leads

* here is a tip for casting directors. FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE. Help you avoid the problem of casting two actors playing the same role (one in flashback) WHO LOOK NOTHING AT ALL LIKE EACH OTHER

I really enjoyed this movie, but I must give a disclaimer... I never read the book, so I can't base my rating on how accurately the movie follows the book. I found that this movie had a lot of twists in it and wasn't as predictable as most other romance movies. (Also, it didn't hurt that James Marsden is great to look at.) I thought the actress who played young Amanda was really good, and I loved seeing the story as the two were growing up & also in modern times. I'm not sure why this movie has gotten so much hate... I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and would even pay to see it again if I get the chance.

I was not a fan of The Notebook, and would much rather watch this movie instead of The Notebook. Sure, the movies probably don't follow Nicholas Sparks' books super detailed, but they're good to watch if you're in the mood for a heartfelt love story.

Dawson Cole (James Marsden, older and Luke Bracey, younger) works on an offshore oil rig. His performance as a rough neck is well respected. Unhappily, the rig catches fire one day and blows, but Dawson manages to rescue two men before he plunges over 100 feet into the ocean. Miraculously, he is alive, perhaps saved by a vision of a girl he knew long ago. That would be Amanda (Michelle Monaghan, older, Liana Liberato, younger). Shortly after, Dawson goes back home, having received notice that a dear surrogate father, Tuck (Gerald McRaney) has died. Amanda is there, too. At once, the film goes back to their senior-in-high-school days. Amanda was the pretty little rich girl. Unluckily, Dawson was the son of an abusive backwoods drug dealer. They met by accident, where Dawson was too stymied even to talk to this gal. But, slowly, a relationship developed. After another beating, Dawson ran away from home and stayed with the crusty widower Tuck, which enabled him to see more of Amanda. Love was strong and true between them. Yet, her dad disapproved and a crisis tore them apart. Now, 20 years later, they meet. Alas, Amanda is married with a husband, teen son, and memories of a daughter who died. But, will these two be able to resist the immense feelings of love that come rushing back? This beautiful movie should have romance fans crying oceans and sighing deeply. Forget the critics, they absolutely DO NOT KNOW HOW to review a female oriented movie any more. The cast is wonderful, the Louisiana setting is gorgeous, the costumes lovely, the script touching and the direction slow but analytic. Yes, this viewer didn't care for the ending, in which an added element was not needed to enhance the strength of the tale. But, all in all, fans best carry along a couple boxes of tissues, as this heartfelt flick will have tears falling like rain for all.

I was looking for a nice romantic flick to bring my girlfriend to so it could set the mood for the evening. Well, that plan failed and I ended up bringing my ex to the movies to see it instead. It really touched me in a deep way that no other love story has in the past. Sounds kinda corny, but for me, it touched on some areas. Well, needless to say, we held hands all during the movie and more later.

Okay, so I read up on the reviews before coming to see this movie and they all made it sound like a boring box office flop, BUT reviews can be very deceiving because this was a diamond that was tarnished by viewers who had NO clue what a romantic flick this really is about! So my advice to you is to go and see it with an open mind and heart and let the movie just unveil itself to your heart and mind and see what happens... best wishes!