Saccharine sentimentality piled high
King of the sloppy romance takes us down the same old road again
The Best of Me ★★ 1/2 (out of five) Starring: James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato Directed by: Michael Hoffman Running time: 117 minutes
Oh my. What is there to really say about The Best of Me, the latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks story to hit the screen?
Coming from the same man who gave us such sloppy romances as Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, you already know The Best of Me will revolve around the very worst the universe has to dish out, somehow made palatable by the redeeming power of love — sadly, unrequited love.
So heave a heavy sigh should you be brave enough to climb aboard the latest float in Sparks’s saccharine parade, because the movie opens with our hard-done hero, Dawson (James Marsden), sitting on an oil rig pondering the stars only to be blown off the platform moments later.
He survives the explosion and near-drowning, only to wake up to terrible news: His old mentor passed away, forcing him back to his childhood home in the backwoods of redneck USA.
No sooner does he step on the front lawn of the woodsy cottage, than he sees a woman. And this is where the movie really lives up to its soap-opera soul, because director Michael Hoffman (Soapdish, One Fine Day) surrenders to Hollywood cliché with such commitment, he almost pulls it off.
Dawson stops in his tracks when he spots Amanda (Michelle Monaghan), and she, too, hesitates before offering a single expression that might betray her feelings.
Their eyes meet across the wildflowers. A flurry of hopes and dreams shimmers across Amanda’s face before resting in a resigned frown.
We know there’s a lot of history there, and right on cue, the flashbacks begin, although it might not be immediately apparent because the part of Dawson is suddenly occupied by a younger actor who bears no physical resemblance to Marsden.
It’s a jarring moment, but director Hoffman distracts his audience away from the obvious by getting Bracey to remove his shirt and show off his abs. Suddenly, we’re not looking at the face anymore — or even the difference in build and height.
We’re lost in the Men’s Fitness centrefold moving before us, and wondering why Bracey looks familiar. To save you the search: he was in November Man, and GI Joe: Retaliation, as well as starring in an Aussie soap.
Bracey is eye candy, and so is everything else in this movie, from the onscreen talent to the Town & Country cover shots.
Even the cars are gorgeous, which will be something of a salve to any schmuck who sees this movie to keep a date happy.
Everything about the movie is so laughably laboured, every emotion so distilled and sickly sweet, that it’s like sinking into a mud bath: not entirely pleasant at first, and definitely something you’ll wash off later, but while immersed, not so bad — if you like — that kind of thing.