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| Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess |
Director: Lone Scherfig
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai, Jodie Whittaker
Genre(s): Drama, Romance
Release Date: August 19, 2011
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 28%
One Day tries so hard to be an engaging romantic comedy/drama that it fails miserably in nearly every single aspect.
Author David Nicholls wrote the screenplay, adapting his own novel of the same name, both sharing a plot reminiscent 1978 Same Time Next Year, the film attempts to create humorous moments where they don't belong, and as a result they feel extremely out of place.
The awkward, highly ambitious Emma (Anne Hathaway) and the cocky ladies' man Dex (Jim Sturgess) have an almost one-night stand after their college graduation. The movie concentrates on one day, July 15, and the experiences of Emma and Dex--whether they are apart of together--over the course of 20 years. It is obvious from the moment that they share a passionate kiss post-graduation that they are meant to be together, but it takes them both a number of years before they come to terms with this.
The first mistake was casting Hathaway and Sturgess. They are not terrible actors, by any means, but they do not fit the roles at all, and I am sure that fans of Nicholls' novel would be disappointed with these casting decisions.
Hathaway is too lovely and put-together to portray a character who is meant to blossom from an inelegant young woman with frazzled hair into a perfectly-coiffed, sophisticated adult. Additionally, Hathaway's feigned British accent is rather confusing, with Scottish subtleties used in various places, which causes her to seem severely less convincing in the role.
Jim Sturgess seems overly depressed and overzealous in his attempts to portray Dex's charm and hard partying ways. He mostly stares at her in a lusty, how-can-you-not-realize-how-beautiful-you-are kind of way. As a result of this and of their palpable lack of chemistry, you strain to care as deeply about the characters as you are meant to, despite the penultimate tragedy that occurs in the final act.
The supporting characters, such as Romola Garai as Dex's wealthy wife and Patricia Clarkson as Dex's cancer-stricken mother, are much more intriguing--albeit far from memorable--than are the two main characters.
Emma and Dex's relationship appears to be more like that of a brother and sister, which makes their eventual relationship all the more surprising and unbelievable (no spoilers here). Unlike most romantic dramedies, in which you yearn for the protagonists to finally get together, in One Day, you cringe when this happens.
Perhaps the most [or only] interesting aspect of the film is its attention to detail regarding temporization: as the storyline flows through time, from the 1980's until the present, we watch them talk on cell phones and Emma's hairstyle changes according to the current trend of the time.
Regardless, the impeccable set and costumes have hardly redeem the film's less-than-mediocre direction, writing, and acting.
Author David Nicholls wrote the screenplay, adapting his own novel of the same name, both sharing a plot reminiscent 1978 Same Time Next Year, the film attempts to create humorous moments where they don't belong, and as a result they feel extremely out of place.
The awkward, highly ambitious Emma (Anne Hathaway) and the cocky ladies' man Dex (Jim Sturgess) have an almost one-night stand after their college graduation. The movie concentrates on one day, July 15, and the experiences of Emma and Dex--whether they are apart of together--over the course of 20 years. It is obvious from the moment that they share a passionate kiss post-graduation that they are meant to be together, but it takes them both a number of years before they come to terms with this.
The first mistake was casting Hathaway and Sturgess. They are not terrible actors, by any means, but they do not fit the roles at all, and I am sure that fans of Nicholls' novel would be disappointed with these casting decisions.
Hathaway is too lovely and put-together to portray a character who is meant to blossom from an inelegant young woman with frazzled hair into a perfectly-coiffed, sophisticated adult. Additionally, Hathaway's feigned British accent is rather confusing, with Scottish subtleties used in various places, which causes her to seem severely less convincing in the role.
Jim Sturgess seems overly depressed and overzealous in his attempts to portray Dex's charm and hard partying ways. He mostly stares at her in a lusty, how-can-you-not-realize-how-beautiful-you-are kind of way. As a result of this and of their palpable lack of chemistry, you strain to care as deeply about the characters as you are meant to, despite the penultimate tragedy that occurs in the final act.
The supporting characters, such as Romola Garai as Dex's wealthy wife and Patricia Clarkson as Dex's cancer-stricken mother, are much more intriguing--albeit far from memorable--than are the two main characters.
Emma and Dex's relationship appears to be more like that of a brother and sister, which makes their eventual relationship all the more surprising and unbelievable (no spoilers here). Unlike most romantic dramedies, in which you yearn for the protagonists to finally get together, in One Day, you cringe when this happens.
Perhaps the most [or only] interesting aspect of the film is its attention to detail regarding temporization: as the storyline flows through time, from the 1980's until the present, we watch them talk on cell phones and Emma's hairstyle changes according to the current trend of the time.
Regardless, the impeccable set and costumes have hardly redeem the film's less-than-mediocre direction, writing, and acting.
Grade: C-
(from Forces of Geek)
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