Not a matter of cynicism or lack of imagination

Rating: Null/10 (26 February 2008)

It is not a matter of being a cynic, or lacking the level of 'imagination' *required* to like this film. I am more than able to suspend my take on realism, when a good film warrants it, (note there "good" film). I have more than enough imagination, in fact my problems with this film do not even begin to touch on the lack of reality in the situation. When it comes to a film, I'm more than happy to buy the whole mother thinks she loses baby, but are reunited in a wonderful climax shtick, I quite like the idea, it could have been a pretty neat feel-good flick. In the end, I wish that it was only a little imagination that was needed...
My main issue stems from the script itself, namely the dialogue. I don't think I have heard such stilted, forced dialogue in a highly regarded feature film. They *roped* us in, only to present this completely false interaction between two people who have almost no on screen chemistry. This schmaltzy 'what are you doing up here?' 'just thinking' scene, which somehow lead to complete love and a 'surprise' pregnancy, was just the beginning. It was downhill from there. I tried to count the clichés, and I'm not talking in the plot, merely the one liners. "I can hear him, I swear I can" "music is all around us" "I thought he was an angel" etc, painful etc. And I must stress that this has nothing to do with the plot itself, this is the script, the horrible, horrible script.
It was only during the music scenes that I found myself not wanting to walk out of the cinema (something which I have never been compelled to do). The cast was stellar, I thought Ryhs Meyers and Keri Russell would be able to make something of this, but alas, if it weren't for the adorable Jamia Simone Nash, and Freddie Highmore I doubt I would have stayed.
Maybe, someday, someone will re-write this with believable dialogue, and three-dimensional characters. Maybe then it will be a movie bordering on bearable.