Get carried away

Rating: 9/10 (8 March 2010)

I caught this film on terrestrial TV in the UK last night. For all you non-UK readers, terrestrial TV in this country leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, there are nuggets of gold, but you can't rely on top quality viewing every night of the week. So when I stumbled upon this movie, I though "let's give it a go." I'm very glad I did! I was glued to my seat. And for two and a half hours (including ads), that's a very good sign.
So whenever I see a movie that I either really love or really hate, I come onto IMDb, see what other people thought and sometimes give a review. I just couldn't believe the negative reviews, so felt compelled to review this movie and give my reasons for the positive score.
Fisrtly, I think all those who "read the book; hated the movie" should get over themselves. This is a pet peeve of mine. If you ever fall in love with a book, either (a) Don't watch the movie - it WILL be different, or (b) Watch the movie with an open mind, expecting it to be different. For what it's worth, I've never read the book, but now I might (and get this, if it's different from the film, I won't go writing negative reviews on book forums!).
Those who just hated the film. It seems that, from the language used in your reviews, you should, like, totally grow up or something. Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit personal here. Everyone is entitled to their views, so to get back on track, this is why I liked the film.
Story/plot: Far fetched, sure. Borrows from other stories, guilty. A few holes, maybe. But still magical, engaging and heartwarming. If you want a hard-hitting, realistic thriller don't watch this movie. Simple. But if you want to forget about things and just enjoy some lovely silliness, and some good old-fashioned romanticism, then this movie is for you.
Acting: Well, you can put your RADA critiquing hat on and rip everyone to shreds, or else you can just get lost in the movie and allow the more-than-adequate turns to carry you along to the movie's climax. I though the ensemble did a great job.
Score/Cinematography: Almost invisible in the background, but doing enough to bring the magic on the screen to life. Sure, I'm not going to remember either to my dying days, but then sometimes it's nice to allow a score/visual to just carry us along for the ride. Subtlety was king here.
So all in all, in case you haven't guessed, I loved this movie. In it's field (if you'll pardon the pun), I think it stands alone as an outright bobby dazzler. If you're like me and prefer to go into a movie with no preconceptions, then give this one a go. You might not like it, but if you let yourself go, you more than likely will.