Good Visuals Good Performances

Rating: 7/10 (18 July 2012)

The two leads have chemistry on screen and are attractive, which is why films are made in the first place. The movie does a better job than the book in showing a realistic portrayal of John. His voice in the book seems too similar to that of Wilson Lewis from "The Wedding" and I wasn't convinced that his voice and actions matched - he didn't come across as a soldier to me. The film, however, shows a guy who seems like he would have been a rebel, makes a believable soldier and is a handsome match for his pretty love interest. This may be way too cliché for some, but you would guess that from the movie poster, let alone the trailer. Some of the low ratings are based on not liking these types of films. There are some choppy moments especially at the end. (SPOILER) It's hard to know if they're meeting in Germany and if he's in or out of the service. I like his bicycle, a change from his dad's big, old Lincoln. Speaking of Lincoln, the coin imagery at the beginning was a good tie-in. If you like these kinds of mushy story lines, you won't be disappointed. Now a film like "The Vow" seems more unrealistic than this one.