An emotive, implausible romantic movie with real chemistry - 76%

Rating: 7/10 (3 February 2008)

My Better Half had been bugging me to go and watch this since it was released and yesterday, I finally relented. Mind you, I wasn't completely reluctant - this film has been receiving a great deal of good praise heaped upon and frankly, I was surprised it was still on at the cinema after being released ages ago so it must have been doing something right, I figured. And it does - this is a real emotional roller-coaster of a movie and is the first film I've seen in ages that has a real tangible chemistry between the two leads.
Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler play Holly & Gerry Kennedy, a happily married couple of nine years struggling to make ends meet in a tiny apartment and limited income. When Gerry passes away due to a brain tumour, Holly's world falls apart and she becomes increasingly isolated and withdrawn from her mother (Kathy Bates) and her friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon). But a surprise letter on her birthday arrives from Gerry and it's the start of a long healing process as each letter arrives and helps her overcome her grief.
Personally, I felt that the plot was too convoluted to be believable - whilst undeniably romantic, the timing of each delivery was simply too convenient. The camera also had an annoyingly shaky temperament, reminiscent of "The Blair Witch Project" although nothing like as bad, which also put me off slightly. However, what cannot be denied is the powerful performance from Swank as the grieving widow failing to cope with her loss. Butler is also very good, totally different from his bare-chested machismo in "300". The scenes between the two are far and away the most entertaining and the most plausible - my Better Half was laughing during the opening moments, claiming that they were just like us! And she was right - the chemistry between Butler and Swank is incredible and really makes the movie far better than it has any right to be. But away from the romance and tragedy, there are several lighter moments that also work well, though nothing gut-bustingly funny. Harry Connick Jr has the best lines, though Kudrow pushes him as the man-eating Denise.
I wasn't expecting that much from this but "P.S. I Love You" is a real gem of a film, providing laughs and tears in equal measures and is thoroughly recommended. It isn't often that a film can cover multiple genres and do them justice ("Shaun Of The Dead" is probably the best example I can think of) but this is a happy surprise. It's unconventional, brilliantly written and wonderfully shot - viewers not used to sweeping shots of rural Ireland are in for a treat. It's a shame the camera-work is unnecessarily wobbly and the supporting cast are largely anonymous - Gershon is barely noticeable next to Kudrow. But you'd be quite daft to miss this movie which deserves every bit of good praise heaped on it due to terrifically emotive performances from the leads, a romantic (if implausible) plot and genuinely amusing scenes. Maybe I should start listening to my Better Half a bit more...