REVIEW | The Lucky One (2012)

Sappy romance set in suburban North Carolina, with breathtaking pink skies; sunsets glinting against blades of grass; roses and carnations in full bloom and rustling in the wind; a charming, rustic house complete with a story-book porch...Then a ruggedly handsome soldier, quiet and strong, suddenly comes into the life of a beautiful blonde single mom. Isn't it romantic? Isn't it sooo...Nicholas Sparks?

Based on  Sparks' novel, The Lucky One tells the story of a marine, Logan (Zac Efron), and his superstitious belief that a photo of a woman he found while on duty in Iraq is what kept him alive during the war. After finishing his third tour, he sets out to find the woman in the photo to thank her. I mean, she saved his life and all. He finally finds her in North Carolina. Her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling), a divorcee who lives with her genius son and her very young and perky grandmother (Blythe Danner). They happily run a kennel and are occasionally harassed by the town sheriff, Beth's bully ex-husband Keith (Jay Ferguson). The  next thing Logan knows, he's a hired help in the kennel. And the story of the photo does not come up...temporarily buried a secret for later conflict.

Efron in a serious and matured role.

Star of TV series 'Mercy', Taylor Schilling gets the lead in a Sparks movie.

For the next forty-five minutes, nothing happens except for Logan walking his equally--if not more--handsome German shepherd, with a backdrop of woodsy, natural beauty; working hard, all sweaty and muscular, while Nana eyes him giddily for her granddaughter Beth. But Beth barely notices the brooding soldier--until a brief verbal jousting sparks between them (finally, she notices him!), followed by an explosion of drama in the garden that finally closes the physical space between them.

The Lucky One starts off with a weak and predictable premise of a man searching for a woman because of...er...her photo that made him lucky. With that kind of a beginning to a story, it would be crazy to expect a richly woven plot and a shocking ending.

Listen to Nana, she can tell a good husband from afar.

Directed by Scott Hicks (Snow Falling on Cedars), the movie sometimes feels like it's lost and panicking, stalling, wasting time, uncertain how to bring the two "destined" lovers together. So it goes marinating in cutesy son antics, pretty flowers and handsome dogs, and tranquil shots of nature, punctuated with cliche moments. No building tension between the two before they got together, so the romantic anticipation is lost somewhere and I found myself getting restless, the familiar coldness of boredom creeping into my limbs (but, amazingly, it did not get into my nerves). It's like a slow, flat line, a long stretch of nothingness, not enough displays of brewing attraction...then suddenly, out of the blue, WHAM!, they're already kissing.

The predictable conflict, when it came, is embarrassingly shallow that you just turn your eyes away and pretend you never saw and heard it. And the predictable conclusion was so convenient that you've come to accept it before it even happened. Besides, what more can you expect from a Star Cine-- I mean, a Nicholas Sparks love story?

Two physically fit people sure look good together.

All the actors are good and pleasant to watch; Efron has transformed into a manly buff and Schilling looks enviably fit and pretty, with a terribly cute wardrobe that I fantasized I owned. Since the story  and the characters lack depth, there's nothing to expect more from their performances, so Efron only has an understandably singular facial expression: trying to maintain that matured countenance, silently fighting off that High School Musical image-- which actually worked. The little boy is adorable and Danner is lovely to look at. However, it was Ferguson who stood out among them, effectively frightening as the bully and jealous ex-husband, the only character in the movie with palpable issues.

Who pissed off the sheriff? I'm scared.

The Lucky One is a painterly beautiful picture to look at, but beyond the sunsets and whispering winds and the rustling grass and pretty floral dresses, there is nothing to hold on to. But if you're in the mood for a tranquil nature-rich backdrop in a motion picture, or you have a crush on Efron, or you love cute and hip suburban mom fashion, then The Lucky One might be your kind of Friday night movie at the cinema. To hell with the story! What's more important are beautiful lovers in beautiful places!

If you're a fan of the Nicholas Sparks brand of romance, then nothing should stop you from watching this.

In Philippine theaters on April 18, 2012

2 out of 5 stars