The Best of Me

Photo credit: www.vulture.com

The Best of Me was not interesting to me for a variety of reasons. Firstly it is adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel and despite the fact that it guarantees tears, it doesn't provide any surprises. Then came the leads: Michelle Monaghan is an actor I don't like for no reason at all. She is a decent actor, looks good (not plastic) but she doesn't work as far as I'm concerned. But once upon a time I didn't like Scarlett Johanson and now I do and I believe in giving actors another chance :) The second lead James Mardsen is in the same basket. He just doesn't work for me and for no apparent reason. The other reason is the plot, the high school sweatharts reuniting at a funeral didn't work me.

Anyway despite all that, I have watched this film yesterday since there were some internet obstacles that prevented us from using twitter and youtube but somehow allow Netflix. And this one was just there without me having to search a film.

Predictably, I was in tears even before the teary bits started. Knowing the formula (SPOILERS only if you have not read a Nicholas Sparks novel or a film adapted from those) I knew one of them would die and likely the guy. But it worked. I liked the cinematography and the art direction. The starts who acted as teens were not disapointing and it was a nice surprise to see the evil dad in The Woman being an evil dad again here. And I have cried buckets, buckets despite knowing what comes next, despite the whole prepackeged melodrama, despite everything against reason. I think my period approaches.