After much awaited anticipation amongst the Valentine’s Day hype, which was probably shared by most woman around the world, Channing Tatum’s and Rachel McAdam’s film “The Vow” has finally dropped into theatres. My roommate and I have been awaiting the moment we could watch the movie that has had romantic drama loving people everywhere talking since the previews first hit the TV screen so you better believe her and I were the first ones walking into that theatre an hour before the show began.
As people began trickling into the theatre and the clock started approaching show time, it was clear how divided the theatre was. Those walking through the entrance were either the classic girlfriend/boyfriend pair where the girl had obviously dragged him along with her or the group of girls coming to see this movie so they can cry about how much they hate their lives (and don’t get me wrong, that was precisely why my roommate and I were sitting in that theatre as well). However, I did happen to scope out one 60-year-old married couple out on the classic movie date and something about the idea of a couple that had probably been married for 20+ years still going out on dates to cute romance movies melted my heart a little (not to mention made me hate my loveless life even more).
Anyway, back to the point: for all the women and girls out there, if you’re planning a movie night out with all your friends, come to this movie prepared with a box of tissues stashed in your purse! From the beginning montage of watching Channing Tatum accomplish ridiculous ways of making Rachel McAdams fall in love with him to the heart wrenching scenes of her not remembering a single thing about their love after a tragic car accident that caused her to lose her memory of the passed five years, you will not be able to make the tears stop.
This love story of Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) may not have been as passionate as those McAdams has been engaged in in the past (like with Ryan Gosling in the tearjerker known as “The Notebook”) but the romance between the two was nothing short of absolutely adorable. The chemistry between Tatum and McAdams on screen made me fall in love when they fell in love, my heart break when their hearts broke, and simply just made me feel as though nothing in the world really mattered as long as you had that one simple feeling of pure love.
The acting in the film was not anything spectacular or never before seen but there was never a moment I did not feel for any of the characters. From beginning to end, Channing Tatum’s dry humor, pure desire for love, and determination to protect the love of his life made me wish I were Rachel McAdams (not to mention how unbelievable attractive he is). Likewise, McAdams did a superb job in the portrayal of two different characters. The idea of her waking up and only remembering a life that she once left behind forces the actress to portray two different Paige’s. Rachel McAdams pulled this switch off flawlessly and the moment Paige’s old life superseded over her new life with husband Leo, my heart broke a million times over again.
On a different note, there were moments of the plot that had their weaknesses. The film soon showed that its main center was focusing on Paige’s broken family being a catalyst for the romance between her and Leo. For this to be the main subject of the movie, certain moments seemed rushed over, thrown in randomly, and not fully developed. To me, it seemed as if the plot’s climax and resolution were ignored until the last half hour of the film where they were then thrown in as what felt almost like an afterthought. However, that being said, the love story behind the movie (which was based on true facts) was enough for me to be completely in awe of the film.
On a side note, to all the guys who may be reading this and considering taking that special someone out to see this movie: I’m pretty sure they would love that, however, prepare yourself now for spending the night with your girlfriend wishing you were Channing Tatum. Not to mention the fact that he has one nude scene in the movie, which will have every female or Tatum lover in the theatre freaking out ;).