Film Review: 'The Vow'

Good chemistry

Not overly sappy

Channing Tatum

Feels longer than it is

Underused Neill & Lange

Channing Tatum

MEMORY LOSS DOESN'T STOP SENSE OF FAMILIARITY IN 'THE VOW'
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - At first glance “The Formula” would be a more appropriate title than “The Vow.” Lately there seems to be a methodology to making a successful romantic drama. Take a well beloved novel or story, cast it with attractive young actors, and give them a reason they can’t be together -- even though they’re in love.

Make it a sure thing and release it in time for Valentine’s Day and you’ve got yourself a box office smash.

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum give strong performances as Paige and Leo, a young married couple struggling to regain their lives after a snowy car crash robs Paige of her memories.

McAdams brings sympathy as the woman who wakes up from a coma unable to recognize her husband, her friends and her own style choices.

After losing the memories of the last five years of her life, Paige is a completely different person.

Gone is the vegetarian bohemian sculptor and back again is a privileged law student who has eyes for her ex-fiancé. Leo struggles with this realization as her long absent parents, the underused Sam Neill and Jessica Lange, come back into her life using the memory loss as a way to reclaim and control their vulnerable daughter.

Both of these stars have proven their bankability in this genre (each with a different Nicholas Sparks adaptation under their belt) so it’s no surprise that they can pull off the angst-filled performances required of the seemily hopeless situation.

This film may look overdone on the surface but the result of this "based on a true story" tale is more satisfying.

What makes this movie unique is its focus on the individual.

McAdams is presented with the challenge of portraying two conflicting personalities in one character and she does so with empathy and a touch of humor.

Thanks to the help of her devoted husband, Paige is reintroduced to her hipster self at the same time the audience is. The only problem is that she is more hesitant to accept her alternative self than the viewers treated to flashbacks of their charmingly quirky backstory.

The one big disappointment of “The Vow” is that we never learn much about Leo. This isn’t Tatum’s typical role as a strong military type but he never gets the full opportunity to explore this alternative character. Leo is a laid back musician, but he spends so much time focused on Paige that his personality is overshadowed by his love for her.

This film delivers exactly what it promises, a true love story in time for the holiday.

While innocent of falling for most clichés in memory loss movies, "The Vow" stays true to the genre roots, flirty to become sappy at every declaration of love.

Paige may have memory loss, but that won’t stop the audience from feeling like they've seen this film before.