Finally, a Realistic Love Story

Rating: 9/10 (3 August 2008)

I am not a fan of love stories; in fact, this movie was not my first choice to see this year. I fully admit that my girlfriend dragged me to this movie, and I dug my heels in since I had no desire to see it. In the end, I'm glad I relented because it is one of the better movies that I have seen in a long time. After watching it my first thought was, "Finally, a realistic love story." I have two pet peeves when it comes to movies: happy endings and love always triumphing over all. In small doses these are okay, but put together, as they are in 99 times out of 100, it is a bit sickening. This movie was the one in a hundred to have the tenacity to be realistic and is worth every minute for it. While some would argue that movies should be designed to escape reality for some time, most love stories take this too far, and the lovers end up together regardless of the situation. That is not the case with this movie, and it is refreshing to escape the sappiness that most movies offer for the harshness of the movie. The abrupt and sudden change of pace that the movie offers shocks you at the core, and reminds you that movies can be a form of art. Yes, the movie is a bit slow at certain points, however, this is easy enough to overlook once it comes together in the end. I walked away from this movie not thinking about the slow points, but rather focusing on the intense feelings I experienced and the fulfillment of my wish of a realistic ending. While this will be called a "Chick Flick" by most men, and dismissed by many for this reason, it should not be in any way. Take a chance and watch this movie gentlemen, you will not be disappointed. Well, unless you insist on the unrealistic happy endings with love always triumphing over all.