Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, and Colbie Smulders
New Release Review
Last Thursday was Valentine's Day so what does that mean for the film industry? It's time to adapt another Nicholas Sparks novel! This year that adaptation was Safe Haven. *Side note: this was the best way to spend Gal-entine's Day with some excellent company - thanks girls!*
In this latest Sparks adaptation, the focus is on a young woman named Katie (Hough) who has escaped her troubled past to wind up in a small North Carolina town where she meets Alex (Duhamel), the manager of the local general store. At first Katie is guarded, refusing to allow any one to get to know her. She slowly opens up to her neighbour Jo (Smulders) and eventually Alex who is a widow with two children. As Katie starts to put roots down in the small town and begin a romantic relationship with Alex, her past catches up with her.
Not much to this predictable love story. We've seen this story time and time again (most notably, this film resembles Julia Robert's 1991 film, Sleeping With the Enemy) and unfortunately, not much has changed in this version. Director Lasse Hallstrom (who has directed critically acclaimed films What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules, and most recently Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), takes on his second Sparks' film (the first being Dear John). Not much different from his previous work with Sparks. Still as pleasantly appealing, visually, however, with the smart choice of not telling the audience the whole truth behind Katie's past. This leaves the audience guessing a little and allows the film to not be a "one-trick pony". It's not a lot of thinking, but it's thinking nonetheless.
The story is your typical Sparks' romance, where two strangers, (who seem destined to be together) meet and fall in love. Something happens in their pasts that stop them from living happily ever after right away (whether it's a death, illness, bad previous relationship, etc.), but they end up together in the end. No spoilers here - just plain, predictable storylines.
There was a slight twist in this film that is a little different from Sparks' previous film adaptations and I guess that was a nice change. But again, it was predictable.
Hough was all right in her first non-singing/dancing role. She was likable as the troubled Katie and had a decent amount of chemistry with Duhamel. The only issue I had with her performance was the lack of emotional depth. The tears, anguish and heartache you would expect from a character such as hers, was not there.
Duhamel was fine. And by fine I mean FINE! But all jokes aside, he was okay in this role. Not much to work with in terms of showing acting range. He was believable as the small town father of two. And he definitely appeals to the female audience. All in all, a great casting choice.
Final Verdict: Skip it. If you are in the mood for a good romance film from Nicholas Sparks, check out The Notebook or A Walk to Remember. Not his finest story, and not the greatest film, it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to be - a romance film to appeal to the masses on Valentine's Day. It was a light (in terms of story depth), cheesy, romantic, pretty film. It put a smile on my face (mainly from the two young actors who played the children of Duhamel's character) and it made me want to go to North Carolina. Not worth running to the theatre to see.
Rotten Tomatoes
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