REVIEW: The Vow

The most surprising element to Michael Sucsy’s The Vow is the ending isn’t happy. After watching Channing Tatum try and win back Paige(Rachel McAdams) for 104 minutes, I wanted him to get her back. Instead Michael attempts to place the film in reality, in order to separate it from films like Dear John or The Last Song. However this film is exactly like those above mentioned and was marketed that way, and as a result suffers horrendously for trying to be a film it cannot be.

The plot is very straightforward. Channing Tatum and Paige meet in the parking lot of a DMV. Two years later the couple get married. After an evening at the movies, the two drive home and are rear-ended by a dump truck. Channing is okay but Paige’s short term memory has been lost. She wakes up and forgets about Channing. The rest of the film Tatum attempts to regain her memory. On a side note the inciting incident for this film looks horrid. The CGI crash is so awful that it actually took me out of the seriousness of the scene and I found myself laughing in the theater.

This film is based on a true story, but that adds little to the film. My biggest problem with the film is I just didn’t care about what was taking place. This film is very reminiscent of the superior 50 First Dates. Both females lose their short term memory. They both lose their memory due to auto incidents. The leading men both try to win the girl’s heart. However the two films differ in the simple fact that 50 First Dates succeeds in what it set out to be, which was a romantic comedy. 

Hmm the first picture looks mighty similar to this.

This film however tries to be a romantic dramedy and fails horribly. The Vow attempts to be realistic about the Paige's memory loss with all of the repercussions, but the film resorts to small PG-13 gags that would never fit in reality. If the film wanted to be serious, then it shouldn’t hold back. When Steve McQueen set out to make Shame he did not try to make a Hollywood film that deals with the psychological problems of sexual addiction. He wanted a realistic portrayal of what it is like to have a sexual addiction, including all of its pitfalls. Director Michael tones down the reality but setting up unbelievable melodramatic elements to the film which ultimately draw the entire film down.

I’ll admit the film held my attention for its duration. However as I mentioned early, the fact that the film didn’t end happy was truly disappointing. I wanted the two to end up back together. For those who have seen the film, I do not accept the ending that they presented as happy either. SPOILERS: the film ends with Channing Tatum and Paige going out again, however it ends that way. There is no definite resolution or guarantee that the couple reunites together. It is implied, but after spending time with these characters that I have been forced to care about, I do not want an implication. I need an absolute. The film cops out and ends with stating that the real life couple fell in love again and they have two kids together despite the girl never remembering what happened. What does it matter what happened to their real life counter-parts? These are characters in the movie, not the actual people. If you want me to take what you present as non-fiction then you need to take a no-non-sense approach.  To be honest I couldn’t even recommend this movie as a sweet date movie. I would rather go bowling.

(Editor's note: If you wonder why throughout the review why I referred to Channing Tatum by his name instead of his as Leo Collins, his character name, it is because I saw no acting from Channing this entire movie. He simply was himself for the duration.)

 
1 ½ Muffins.