Nicholas Sparks is a preeminent romantic novelist who is exceedingly accomplished in spinning a tale about a man and a woman, the challenges they face together and apart, add a mind-blowing twist, some astounding dialogue and a silver lining or closure of some sort and you have what we call a brilliant Sparks novel. So without a doubt, he will go down in history along with romantic novelists such as Jane Austen. I guess the talent comes from the name because Sparks can certainly write about Sparks.   

The first two were a tie really sorry, the first aced emotion but the storyline blew it, the second had a mindblowing storyline but the lack of emotion blew it!

#7 DEAR JOHN 

General opinion- I think i'm going to describe this movie by what i call a drifter- I love Channing Tatum to the moon and back and the book Dear John is one of the most interesting Sparks books i've read. But the movie was far off. I feel as if it could've been greater if they stuck closer to the book. But instead, there was long periods of time in the film where I was just waiting for something to interest me. It's the story arc that ruined the film for me, which pains me because chemistry between all the actors was on point the whole way through. Also, Tatum's performance was honestly one of the best from a Spark's male lead i've seen! His acting isn't even fair. 
 
Characters- 8/10
John Tyree (Channing Tatum)- In the film Pearl Harbour; there's a quote that says there's nothing stronger then the heart of a volunteer and that is partially what underlies the conflict of the film. John is noble and protective thus feels obligated to stay in the army after all it gave him- that is structure, something that kept him on a straight and narrow path. Throughout the course of the film Tatum was dedicated, protective, vulnerable, noble, heartbroken and conflicted and he mastered every emotion like a pro. In fact he's undoubtedly a 10 out of 10. Anyone else that auditioned never even had a chance- poor buggers!
Savannah (Amanda seyfried)- The beautiful do-gooder who's life is intertwined with another and then wrapped with a series of misfortune circumstances. Seyfried certainly pulls of this character, she seems very natural in this role, only there was nothing very interesting about her character that drew you in. Which is really sad because if you've read the book you'd know that in the book she has a lot of personality. It's like twilight according to the book Bella had a lot of personality only Kristen Stewart couldn't pull it off. 
 

Chemistry- 7/10- There relationship seemed very genuine, you could feel their struggle in trying to survive a long-distance relationship. In all honesty the chemistry was the best part of the entire film. Tatum broke my heart repeatedly with Savannah, with his father. I honestly believe that anyone can be in a scene with Tatum and have matchless chemistry. 










I don't even know what to say to acting this amazing! you can't even hear them speak and yet my heart is breaking just looking at them, Tatum especially and you know why? Acting is all in the eyes and Tatum's eyes are tearing me to shreds (Seyfried's are too but Tatum has a weird effect on me he makes me cry so hard that I swear bullets are coming out of my eyes.)


Conflict- 6/10- It exhibits a similar love like that of the Notebook with a prole guy and Rich girl so clearly social classes is an external conflict that these two characters face. Also distance and time is certainly a big player in the film that generates quite a bit of conflict as well. Then there is the strained relationship between father and son. In fact, Tatum's most heartbreaking performance in this film was not in having to continuously say goodbye to the love of his life but much rather a man that in many ways was just like him. Then there is the concept of 'Dear John'- Dear John in military terms is basically a letter a girl sends to a guy when she's going to dump him, so that was pretty much foreshadowed from the title.

Structure and style- 3/10- I liked the way in which the film was structured from the letters going back and forth, but the film was just too reliant on the letters. There's a difference between using them to structure the conflict and using them to make the entire film- I just think the line the director and producer drew between these two concepts was just too thin. Costuming suited the beach coastal town and then obviously John's military uniform was befitting of his occupation. The lack of structure meant that the entire film felt a little unstable and the romance became boring as time went on, but Tatum's performance redeemed it and the chemistry between his character and his father showed a conflict that ran longer and deeper then any romance could. It was honestly the bigger more interesting issue in my opinion.  
 

#7 SAFE HAVEN

General note- It's not exactly my go-to Sparks film. I love the story line, it hits me hard each time with all it's danger, violence and abuse but the action barely redeems the lack of emotion. I love Josh Duhamel but he barely redeems the lack of chemistry. This film isn't very memorable, in fact it's what I call a drifter, it drags on for so long that as soon as you reach the epic showdown your bored. This film gives off the impression of being violent but at it's core there is a very heartfelt message; that love can overcome any darkness you find yourself in, so surround yourself with good and kind people. Also we learn that a person's safe haven has nothing to do with the place, it's people that make a safe haven! However, if there is one thing I have to say blew my mind it would be the plot twist involving Jo which I won't spoil yet, but that is mostly owed to Spark's writing not the producing and directing.

To sum up this film- it's Suspense YAY Chemistry NAY

I feel as if the romantic thriller genre is beginning to go extinct, so this film as a revival for this genre was very conspicuous!

Characters- 7/10

Katie (Julianne Houghs) - This is one conflicted character and Houghs skilfully delivered many of these characteristics on screen such as Katie's resilience and resourcefulness. We see the way she carries around her past and how it's a big part of who she is- why she is always so vulnerable, cautious, fretful and scared. However, we also see how as she meets Alex she starts to let her guard down. As a fugitive on the run and desperate woman Houghs is very convincing especially when it comes to facing the hard work that comes with rebuilding her life but the problem is the actress can't emote very well. Nothing about her acting seemed palpable and it didn't make me feel anything, just watching it made me feel bland. I mean I've personally felt more emotion whilst watching documentaries.
Alex (Josh Duhamel)- Duhamel's character suited him, he had the right amount of incandescent charm necessary for a male lead in a Spark's film but his character is not in the same boat as Katie,      I mean obviously here he is in the same boat......


 But what I mean is that his character kind of fades in the background in comparison to previous Spark's films where there is a balance between the male and female lead, in fact a lot of the time it feels like his character came out of nowhere and was an inconvenience for Katie, as if he was forced to be there. The relationship wasn't genuine. But this is mostly owed to the writing and producing, I think Duhamel did a superb job with the ill-scripted scenes he had. His an admirable character in that his grief over his wife in no way affects his ability to be a good father. He loves his kids all the same and his strength and the decisions he makes comes from his love for them. That's why he is so reluctant to trusting Katie after he finds out that she is a fugitive. So overall Well Done Duhamel!

Chemistry- 6/10-  As an audience member I became more entangled in the story line then the actual romance, i've seen Houghes and Duhamel in other films, they have romantic potential (Duhamel had it especially in Life As We Know It with Katherine Heigl and Houghes had it in Footloose with Kenny Wormald) but together the romance was as bland and tasteless as unsweetened tea. On the other hand, it had it's bittersweet and tear-jerking moments. Both of them had extreme chemistry in scenes where the kids were involved, but I think that's owed mostly due to the kids charisma. Also, the chemistry between Duhamel and the kids was very heartfelt, his love for his children was undeniable (I felt the conflict between him and his son very intensely). The chemistry between Katie and her abusive husband seemed so staged and forced that it looked more comedic then thrilling. Overall it was too tasteless to ignite any empathy or drive in viewers.

Anyone ever heard of the song "make you feel my love" by Bob Dylan?- well I gotta say Hallstrom (Director of film) you didn't deliver, cause you didn't make me feel there love.  

Conflict-7/10- In a Sparks film the tragedy usually dwells in the future awaiting the happy couple, yet the conflict in this film arose from the past. So I suppose Sparks can do something new? This aspect of the film certainly made it more interesting to watch.
 Let's just break down this really poorly constructed drama.....
So she had a detective chasing her SHOCK (Not really), The detective ends up being her abusive husband SHOCK (really), and Katie's best friend Jo ends up being the ghost of Alex's dead wife BIGGEST SHOCK (absolutely mindblowing). 

The final showdown between Katie and her hubby, the corrupt alcoholic detective was actually ludicrous, it was a long time coming and then came out of absolutely nowhere. Many interludes featuring the detective in the beginning stages of the film were annoying because they dragged on for way too long before we discovered his actual connection to Katie. However, despite all the above it was still entertaining to watch which is basically what the producers were aiming for anyway even if it didn't concur with the rest of the film.

As for the dead wife ghost I did feel as though there was something suspicious since Katie was the only one she ever interacted with, but damn I was not expecting that, talk about a plot twist. This was certainly an indication of Spark's shrewdness.

Structure and style- 4/10- I commend Sparks on creating a thriller aspect to the film that would bring in more audience members then just the usual hopeless romantics. However, I think that both the romantic and thrilling aspects of the film came around slowly so by the time any significant moment came I was bored. Thus, I said it before and i'll say it again, this film is a drifter so the entire pace of the film is tedious. The costuming was casual which went nicely with the backdrop of a seaside coastal community.  The conflict was constructed very poorly. It was like a photo slideshow, there was no real flow to the flashbacks of the past or the present interludes of the detective. It just cut from image to image especially the interlude in which we finally discover the detective's connection to Katie. Plus, no one is abusive and an alcoholic for no reason, in one of the flashback's, I would've liked to have learn't the reason behind the detective's nature, why he went after Katie again and then tried to kill her. There was just too many unsolved questions for me. 



#6 THE LUCKY ONE 

General Note- So this film in terms of mindblowing twists was certainly lacking, in fact the only real twists were that Logan knew how Aces (Beth's brother) died after all and that he was the one that dropped the photograph which seems to be the reason why he died (he lost his lucky charm) and the photograph kept Logan safe instead. Also, the only other real twist was that Keith was actually a decent guy in the end he was actually the hero, which just made it all the more tragic when he died after saving his son :( However, what I like about this film is the chemistry between everyone and the strong message at the core of this film it's that people heal in mysterious ways, there's no time limit or definition on grief, for example YES it's unrealistic that someone would travel so far to thank someone for a picture he believed saved his life, but it wasn't about thanking her to him it was the consolation that came with thanking her, it was his way of healing his wounds from the past. 

Characters-8.5/10

 Logan (Zac Efron)- WOW! highschool heartthrob to the one who makes all the girls sob
 and Disney Dude to a seriously sexy brood.
 In other words it has been quite the transformation for this guy.
I honestly don't think I had any any problems with his acting, it was on point the whole way through. Natural is his name,  he was natural as a marine, as a broken lost man, as a man in love- completely natural presence on screen in addition to being completely engaging. Certainly ranks in the top half of Spark's male leads. yet, he is not in the same boat as Schilling's character,
I mean again here he is in the same boat,



 But what I mean is he invades her life, so in this film most of the conflict weighs on the female leads shoulders, with him his presence again seems almost like an inconvenience for her, until she realizes she likes him and then loves him and blah blah blah     
Beth (Taylor Schilling)- Certainly one of the more interesting female leads in Spark's films when you take into account the amount of internal and external conflict she is coping with and her situation as a mother, mother's are always more interesting for a love story because there's the whole concept of putting your kids needs above your heart's needs (A very big conflict!). Her emotional delivery though is what I call incomplete, so close to making me feel something, but not enough to push me over that edge and inspire intense empathy, her lack of an emotional response to her ex-husband's death really bugged me, especially after he died saving both her son and her love, Logan. However, there were times where I just thought damn, she has some drive or some edge, like when she FINALLY stands up for herself to Keith, her ex-husband and she says "I'm a damn good mother", my only thought was damn straight. 

Chemistry-7/10- "Finding something like that in a war is like finding an angel in hell"-Efron portrayed his character very well, the lost man and ex-marine looking for his guardian angel. I think the chemistry between the characters was strengthened by the fact Logan had a connection with her before meeting her, which probably in turn strengthened Efron's astounding acting. On my list, this just beat Safe Haven, only because the emotional delivery was ardent and inspiring with every single character, including the ex-husband and the kid-there was chemistry between every single character. Efron and Schilling had a lot of chemistry, only there relationship and it's struggles didn't seem genuine it seemed forced through ill-scripted scenes and stymied through lethargic circumstances. Also, there is a big big problem- half the time i'm just thinking efron's too young for this like in comparison to Schilling, at least. 

Conflict-5/10- Beth's inner conflict very much saddened me, the way in which she was still coping with her brother's death and would give anything to know that he didn't die for nothing. Also, her conflict with dealing with a controlling and chauvinistic ex-husband who continuously threatens to take her son away. In fact, most of the film's conflict relies on the female lead, which is a very big change. However, when you think about it more closely, how the whole conflict unravels from a photograph it seems kind of ridiculous. As for Logan's conflict it's mostly internal with a marine trying to find a new way of living after the war and feeling indebted to his guardian angel. 

But despite all this, there's something missing- what is the main conflict driving the story? hats off to anyone of you that can figure it out because I certainly have no clue.  

Structure and style-4/10- The photograph provides the story with better structure, something the audiences can constantly revert back to but at the same time it makes the primal conflict of the story a bit unrealistic and ridiculous- like that's going to happen in real life? Do you really think someone would travel all that way to return a picture and thank someone you've never met for saving your life. In addition, this film is testimony to the whole knight and shining armour and happily ever after adage which was sickly sweet and nauseating. There was a huge comedic element missing from the film which made it less entertaining and light-heartened, which doesn't makes sense to me because in comparison to it's predecessors and successor's the conflict in this film seems to diminish in solemnity. Nonetheless, the dialogue wasn't completely cheesy, it was bearable and the rural coastal town backdrop seemed credible enough, the night-raid, warzone backdrop however did not. I felt like it was taking place on a box on set.  


#5 THE LAST SONG
  
 General note- Honestly, I love the romance in this film but I watch it more for the father-daughter relationship this is one of two Sparks films that stresses child-parent conflict very strongly and especially in this film it breaks my heart. It shows that love stories extend beyond the classic boy meets girl, fall in love and happily ever after- family matters as well. Take a lesson from Frozen it's not Hans or even Kristoff that cures Anna NO, it's her sister Elsa, So love is important but it comes in many forms. To sum up this point- chemistry between ALL characters was on point.

Characters- 8/10 
 
My favourite character hands down was.......

Steve  (Greg Kinnear)- his performance was utterly breathtaking and heartbreaking! SPOILER a man with a strained relationship who would lie about his own cancer to his children so he could mend the relationship on it's own terms rather then having his children feel obligated to love him is one of the most selfless and courageous things i've ever heard of. His silent death gets me every time, a life that faded away with the one sound he yearned to hear for the longest time- his daughter play piano again, to rediscover her passion. This was honestly one of the most beautiful and tragic deaths I have ever seen! On top of that Kinnear portrayed it beautifully he was the picture of a broken man. He made me realize what it means to be human, doing the best you can through the hardships that life frequently throws our way. 

Ronnie  (Miley Cyrus)- her bid to play the troubled teen was certainly a success, she made the strained father-daughter relationship seem very genuine and her character transformation is undeniably portrayed skilfully, especially as she starts to grow fonder of her father and enjoys and appreciates having him in her life. Her emotional response to discovering her father has cancer was her best scene honestly, she was talented at portrayed mixed emotions- the way she's crying but mad and confused but understands- absolutely mindblowing. it was only during a few of the romantic scenes where her acting faulted and she felt like more of a kid then a romantic lead- at times it seemed more like a kiddish first love, then a mature one that could probably last. However, wit and sarcasm is her middle name because she did that exceedingly well.
Will  (Liam Hemsworth)- A-M-A-Z-I-N-G- A rich kid who sees past the whole pretentious bullshit of being rich, Hemsworth broke my heart when he revealed his brother's death and how he dated a parade of girls hoping to feel something again, the pain in his eyes and just his overall emotional delivery was commendable. I love the way he sticks by Ronnie's side through her dad's cancer and he shares her burdens- that too me is what real love is when you find someone to share the bad times with, it's the bad times that test relationships after all.To say the least they passed the test-Eventually.  
Hemsworth portrayed every emotion intensely and intense emotions inspires intense responses thus the empathy I felt for him was mindblowing.His humour and wit was astounding- Do you remember when he recited the first line of Anna Karenina in German? I rest my case.
   

Chemistry- 7/10- This film is why I was so saddened that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke off there engagement, they are honestly a striking pair. my favourite scene between the two would have to be the mud fight. It was very fun and made me laugh, it gives off the impression that they are a fun and sweet couple. The chemistry between Cyrus and Kinnear was PERFECT, the strained relationship that evolved to a closeness that friends share, every word spoken between these two characters hit me hard.

Conflict- 7/10- here we have the father/daughter conflict, the conflict between Ronnie and Will and of course Ronnie's inner conflict, all of which were heartbreaking to watch. The father/daughter conflict was done very well, we can obviously understand the betrayal Ronnie felt when her father left and how she retaliated by refusing to play piano, which her father loved. Only, in the end she realises that by refusing to do so she was hurting herself more then her father, so obviously she experiences a lot of inner conflict when she chooses to forgive her father. However, the conflict, the thing that was enough to drive Ronnie away from Will, I feel as though it should've been more epic, nonetheless Cyrus and Hemsworth were excellent in this scene.  

Structure and style- 5/10- I honestly didn't find the dialogue very cheesy I liked it, it was witty and sarcastic (For Ronnie mostly), it had tinges of humour which is certainly needed in a romance film, especially ones featuring teenagers love interests so young, there too young to not have humour in there somewhere. But it's understandable this film deals with some heavy themes like death so it's expected that the majority of the film is earnest. The backdrop was of a coastal town so what else is new Sparks? The costuming- For Will it was spot on for the volleyball type and for Ronnie she was certainly rocking the gothic chic- practically dressed like someone who was either rebelling against her father or silently screaming for his attention- but beginning to end of the film her wardrobe changes as her relationships changes so there's a bit of symbolism going on there.





#4 THE BEST OF ME

General note-  A+ acting, average C for basically everything else like the dialogue, structure except the plot twist, The impact of that plot twist didn't hit me straight away but it hit me hard- The love of her life dies but his heart lives in another person that she loved. So even though he's gone his heart is always with her. So needless to say, this film was one of closure and it tore me to shreds. It teaches people about the importance of forgiveness and a second chance or in this case a second chance at a first love as well as how the only people we should keep in our lives are the ones that bring out
"The Best In Me!" 

Characters- 9/10

Old Dawson (James Marsden)- In case you didn't know Paul Walker was initially cast for this role before his death and thinking back on the film I feel as though Walker would've been a perfect choice, closer to what I imagined looking at young Dawson! which makes me really sad :( Also, looking at Marsden as Old Dawson and Bracey as young Dawson it doesn't seem believable at all (That was quite an impossible transformation!) That's not to say James Marsden wasn't excellent, his acting and emotional delivery was superb, very tear-jerking. Also, when he sees his father again you can still feel his fear. He obviously didn't play young Dawson but he carries young Dawson's troubled past and struggles all the same. Honestly bravo. The only thing that bugged me about him was his lack of an emotional response to Tuck's death who was practically a father to him :(  
Young Dawson (Luke Bracey)- WOW! that was quite the film debut. The young man from the wrong side of the tracks, who isn't charismatic sadly but is certainly a brooding handsome lead and a lot of girls like that type and Bracey portrays it astoundingly especially in comparison to Liberato's charismatic and light-heartened nature. His character transformation is unbelievable from a troubled kid with an abusive family, to having a father-figure in his life, to being in love and then losing it all. His inability to forgive himself over his cousin's death was painful to watch and most of all his straight-forward nature was humorous for example, when he is oblivious to Amanda's flirting! 
Old Amanda (Michelle Monaghan) - In terms of the character, I understand her past struggles in waiting around for Dawson hoping he'd let her in and how she eventually had to move on with her life and she did- she said it herself "you want me to fall back in love with you, how do I do that when I never even stopped"- that line gets me every time! I just don't like the way she goes back to her husband after coming back together with Dawson but I think the audience can understand that when times change, priorities change and in this case she was willing to put that above her own heart. Monaghan portrays the pain that Dawson caused her effortlessly, with how at first she is distant and it takes quite a bit for her to open herself back up to him. But when she does we see the charisma and vulnerability we saw in young Amanda.  
Young Amanda (Liana Liberato)- The most charismatic character in the film. She's a lightweight that generates relief to the heavy burdens that Dawson carries around with him. But she can also play hardball when the situations demands it. Also when her burdens hit her hard they hit us hard too. Especially when Dawson takes away her choices by refusing to see her when in jail. Her reaction to him walking away from her in the prison was heart-wrenching. So much talent in someone so young.

OH, And if it weren't enough that both Amanda's are brilliant actresses, they look so similar they certainly pass off as one another. In fact, there was a scene where I swear Liberato was Monaghan.    

Tuck (Gerald Mcraney)- Hands down my favourite character- they certainly don't make them like him anymore, the producer of the film said it herself. WOW! His practically a father figure and nurtures Dawson and Amanda's romance and is a huge part of Dawson's growing confidence in himself. He wanted so much more for Dawson then what he'd grown up with and what he ended up with. Mcraney effortlessly portrays the guiding light that helps Dawson as well as learning a thing or 2 about himself along the way. A job beautifully done!

Chemistry- 8/10-  Bracey and Liberato's (Young couple) relationship embodies the notion of simplicity and complexity going hand in hand or in other words opposites attract, they balance each other out and there relationship is more memorable for it. The way they challenge each other to go after there dreams and not give up on there futures despite circumstances is inspiring and shows a real maturity and intensity in an inexperienced and teen highschool love. Between Monaghan and Marsden the very much longed for love is certainly there and we can see how there lives have turned out in a way neither planned especially without one another and what it means to suddenly have one another back in each others lives, almost so it kills me when they have to part again the chemistry was undeniable. However, I think there story gave a sense of discordance so it felt like I was watching 2 different love stories not the same one. The chemistry between Tuck and Dawson was THE BEST- I absolutely adored it, I love the way it started out rough because they were so similar but once the softness hiding behind a tough exterior was shown- we saw they were a family and very protective of one another and it absolutely warmed my heart. The only thing I didn't like was the chemistry between Dawson and his father, the actor chosen to play the father to say the least was NOT what I imagined, maybe that was the point, I don't know but I didn't like it at all. 

Conflict-7/10- They say follow your heart but remember to take your mind with you, I think the character of Dawson is the epitome of this. With his mind, Dawson made many wrong decisions but his heart never forgot Amanda, his love. The conflict in this film was a heavy burden and it all unravels from Dawson's unstable and abusive family, in which he wants out only things don't seem to work that way in this family. This makes things even more difficult when he tries his hardest to keep Amanda far away from this part of his life. However, Dawson's abusive father on screen is portrayed ridiculously and that story line lacked conviction. On top of that, we have the difference in social class between the two evident when Amanda's father tries to buy young Dawson off. Only this conflict was not stressed as strongly as it was in films such as The Notebook and The Last Song. I think it's mostly inner conflict the characters cope with especially Bracey with his low self-esteem and own personal inadequacies. we can just sense that he is walking around with the feeling that he's not good enough, something both Amanda and Tuck help fix.   

Structure and style- 6/10- I think the Time jumps were constructed in an irregular manner giving the film a sense of discordance, Dialogue was total cheese but it's a Sparks film so when isn't it? However, usually the acting can redeem this but in this case for me it didn't. IT WAS CHEESE TO THE EXTREME! with all characters except for Tuck, with him there was no beating around the bush, no bullshit and certainly NO CHEESE. Half the time the costuming with young Amanda and Dawson didn't look like from the time period it was supposed to and the backdrops were too bright and too staged to be believable.    

 #3 THE LONGEST RIDE

General note- I'm going to be 100% honest here, I didn't think I was going to like this film, in fact at first glance it seemed cheesy and I mostly was watching it because Scott Eastwood was so damn sexy (I suppose the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree on that one, hey Clint?) But I absolutely loved it. I think what I loved most about it was that it's the first Sparks film to entangle two completely different love stories- one set present day centering on Art and Bull riding and the other set in the 1940s on Art and war. In fact it was this latest film that gave me hope and reassurance that Sparks wasn't losing his touch. So The Longest Ride was certainly masterfully constructed in comparison to it's predecessor The Best Of Me but was a ride too short in beating the top two on my list. 

Characters- 9/10- They are all charismatic, unfeigned and charming

Sophia (Britt Robertson)- Great choice, She was quirky, amusing, very heartfelt and very sweet. Her emotional scenes were great but NOT amazing  they could be quite dry at times. It was the break-up scene and when Ira dies mostly where her emotional delivery hit me hard!
Luke (Scott Eastwood)- Great choice, total hunk doesn't even cover it (more like a demigod), but i'm not going to let the fact I find him so damn sexy make me prejudiced, so i'll admit there were times where I found him wooden. However, for the most part his emotional delivery was always on point. His very conflicted and you can see it in his eyes his torn between 2 parts of his life his love for Sophia and bull-riding which for the longest time was, he said it himself "all I know". So yes, body language is stiff but his facial expressions and dialogue delivery compensate for it. Let's just say it was one heck of a film debut for this guy and he rocks a cowboy hat almost as well as his daddy.  
Ira (Jack Huston)- Tore me to shreds honestly, every emotion he portrayed on that screen was breathtakingly masterful. His transformation from the shy recluse before he knew Ruth to when he had her in his life, the struggles they experience to after he loses her and she comes back is just astounding. If anyone in this film deserves to be nominated for something or win an award it's without a doubt- HIM! Also the amount of sacrifices he made was admirable, he sacrificed having a family, giving Ruth one of her dreams and risked his own life to save a friend in the midst of a war.
Old Ira (Alan Alda)- At first is fragile, shattered and bitter, but as he recounts meeting Ruth his soul is restored, so needless to say this actor puts an effortlessly genuine face on nostalgia. Also, the scene where he wakes up to find his wife dead, was the one scene in which I could not hold it together! It was a heart-breaking shout into the void.     
Ruth (Oona Chaplin)- The amount of times she made me laugh was uncountable, her transformation was masterfully constructed as well, from one of the most quirky and light-heartened characters to the most conflicted. It pained me to see the way she had to give up one of her biggest dreams. But somehow, in the end she realizes that, that dream doesn't exist without Ira- So her sacrifice is of inestimable value. A JOB WELL DONE CHAPLIN, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.  


Chemistry- 8.5/10- Between Ruth and Ira it's more like a 9.5, they had everything right from the quirkiness, heartfelt and endearing love scenes to the sadness and the grave tragedy that follows, through the forces that drive them apart and back together again. Honestly I commend the casting choices on this one. As for the relationship between Luke and Sophia there were times where I felt there relationship was more sexual and lustful then romantic like they went on there first date and the next minute there having sex- i was just like


although they have many adorable scenes that redeem this and make there relationship memorable so YAY! Also, each time they looked in each others eyes the chemistry was undeniable. Chemistry between Ira and Sophia was touching, goes to show how people can change your life in unexpected ways. The only thing that really saddened me was the lack of chemistry between Luke and Ira, I would've loved to see a few heartfelt moments between the 2 of them. I feel like Ira could've been the guiding light that helps Luke find his way the same way he did for Sophia, especially since I felt like he was more of a lost character then Sophia ever was, her character is set in stone, it's only her circumstances that change.

Conflict- 7/10- The forces that aim to drive both couples apart are exactly the same forces that bring them together, because they realize in spite of there differences and inability to understand how they can make it work they know they want to make it work. So external conflicts such as distance, time, infertility, war and passion threaten there love but are also why the love story remains so memorable. However, sometimes I don't think these conflicts or there solution to these conflicts were expressed as creatively as they could have been. For example, I was hoping for a bigger conflict or a more sought-after resolution- in the end I felt like it came too easy for Sophia and Luke and ruined the realism of the situation, Ira says "love requires sacrifice" in the end I don't think Sophia and Luke sacrificed anything, they were just more willing to if it came down to it. Also let's be honest there problems really do diminish in significance when compared to Ira's and Ruth's. 

Structure and style- 8/10 There was a bit of a Notebook style going on where Ira's letters led us back into flashbacks of a different time, although the difference is these were flashbacks to another love and time, with the notebook it was simply another time with the same love. So because these flashbacks emerged from letters there was a better flow to the story and it didn't feel as much like a photo slideshow with pretty backdrops like it did when watching The Best Of Me. The dialogue could be cheesy at times, but there was a balance because it was also heart-breaking and completely hilarious. My favourite line was spoken by Luke, as a bull rider he tells an art dealer of her show, “I think there’s more bullshit here than where I work.” The backdrops and costuming made the 1940's in the film credible, I honestly felt like I was in the 1940's.
 

STAY TUNED FOR FIRST PLACE AND THE RUNNER UP
AND THE DECISIONS FOR WHY NUMBER ONE WAS NUMBER ONE AND
WHY NUMBER TWO WAS NUMBER TWO!

OVERALL CONCLUSION- 

So the question is will I watch this? and the answer is surprisingly YES, I will most certainly be watching this and so should all of you because while i believe it's gonna blow up like a beer bottle left in the freezer due to my conclusions drawn just from the trailer you can't judge a movie from a trailer, in fact some of the best movies I know have the most poorly constructed trailers.

Love, Sun