Terrific performances in a sweet movie.

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2007)

This movie really was a great follow-up role for Patrick Swayze. I was intrigued by his performance in 'Dirty Dancing' and wondered how he would approach this very different role. I was pleasantly surprised by Patrick's ability to shift gears from dancer/actor to straight actor. His portrayal of a man's eternal love for his soul-mate was very convincing. His portrayal of an investment banker was not as strong. That huge mane of curly hair did not seem to fit into the image of a corporate team player.
The strength of the film was in the chemistry between Patrick 'Sam' and Whoopi Goldberg 'Oda Mae'. These two performers played off each other so flawlessly, it was magic. It made for a strong comedic theme in a performer not noted for his comedy skills. On second thought, perhaps it was much more Whoopi than Patrick.
The chemistry between Patrick and Demi Moore 'Molly' was not as strong. They had flashes of excellence between more mundane moments. The scene where 'Molly' making pottery on a wheel turned into an amorous encounter was a very sweet moment.
The performance of Tony Goldwyn as best friend/traitor 'Carl' was extremely creepy and convincing. When he attempted to take advantage of grieving 'Molly' I first suspected that the plot would involve 'Carl' having 'Sam' murdered so that he could move in on 'Molly'. That did not exactly happen, but it seemed 'Carl' would have enjoyed this as an additional bonus to the money he wanted so badly he killed for it.
The finale made the film. Even the hardest heart melted at the love and loss experienced by 'Sam'. He showed how beautiful and loving 'Sam' really was. He had bonded with 'Oda Mae' too and it no doubt made her decide to become a better person from his example.