One Day seemed to have everything going for it. The author of the (fairly popular, especially here in the UK) novel, David Nicholls, adapted his own work into a screenplay. The movie's director's previous work includes An Education, a British film starring Carey Mulligan that snagged a bunch of Oscar nominations (deservedly so, it's very good). The cast is talented and the leads have clear chemistry. However, something didn't quite click. This review is kind of spoiler-y, but I won't be giving away the entire movie. Loose bits of plot may be mentioned, but I'm not going to be discussing twists or anything you wouldn't already know from a. the trailer, or b. the fact that this movie is kind of a romantic comedy. The story follows Emma (Hathaway) and Dexter (Sturgess), two friends that almost slept together on the night (well, technically, morning after) of their graduation from University. The novel takes us back to this day for the next twenty years of their lives (this premise does make it seem like it could be a very watchable movie). The story tracks the various ups and downs of their relationship with each other, as they change and grow as people, as they struggle with their lives, and as they (let's face it, this ain't a spoiler for anyone who has ever seen a movie) finally come together.
The journey is fun, but never quite lives up to the (very, very engaging) novel. The novel is so full of detail, Emma and Dexter were such multi-dimensional, engaging characters on the page. Before they met up with each other in the novel, the reader would usually be given a quick glimpse into how the previous year of their life had been (what had happened, what their relationship had been like during that time, etc.). It was much easier to see where they were mentally. In the movie, we are basically just thrown into these scenes. Without the monologues and the extra details, One Day feels like another typical romantic comedy (one with a great central idea and two great leading characters, but still). Moving through twenty years is a cool way to make everything look different and shake up the soundtrack - the hairstyles, the glasses, music from various periods of time, etc, meaning that the movie is very rarely stuck in the same place (yay for my ability to point out the obvious, since the film very obviously takes place across two decades).
Anne Hathaway is Emma. An intelligent woman that wants to make a difference, write life-changing novels, and generally do something with her life. Hathaway's accent fluctuates all over the place and doesn't seem entirely consistent (in an interview, she did state that it was intentional - which makes sense, given that Emma moves around a lot during the film). I've read a lot of interviews that stated that Emma wasn't a character in her own right in the film, that she was basically Dexter's sounding board. I don't entirely agree, but the character doesn't quite have the same amount of depth that she had in the book (which is true for most characters that originally started out in novels, while disapointing it is hardly a suprise). Dexter, the more relaxed, easy going half of the relationship. Again, not quite as enjoyable as the character in the book but still more fun than your average leading male in a romcom.
One Day is an engaging, funny, nicely directed (there are a few pretty shots in there and the movie moves along well) film that would make for a nice night out. It isn't on the same level as the book, but it is worth a look. In a nutshell; the novel is absorbing, engaging, and well worth your time. The movie is very watchable, and definitely something to look out for if you ever spot it on tv.
Note; I actually bought and then read the book after hearing about the movie. I loved the idea, and wanted to read the book before I watched the movie. Anne Hathaway was a contributing factor too, she is a solid actress (and her rapping skills are scary impressive, heh).
Anne Hathaway is Emma. An intelligent woman that wants to make a difference, write life-changing novels, and generally do something with her life. Hathaway's accent fluctuates all over the place and doesn't seem entirely consistent (in an interview, she did state that it was intentional - which makes sense, given that Emma moves around a lot during the film). I've read a lot of interviews that stated that Emma wasn't a character in her own right in the film, that she was basically Dexter's sounding board. I don't entirely agree, but the character doesn't quite have the same amount of depth that she had in the book (which is true for most characters that originally started out in novels, while disapointing it is hardly a suprise). Dexter, the more relaxed, easy going half of the relationship. Again, not quite as enjoyable as the character in the book but still more fun than your average leading male in a romcom.
One Day is an engaging, funny, nicely directed (there are a few pretty shots in there and the movie moves along well) film that would make for a nice night out. It isn't on the same level as the book, but it is worth a look. In a nutshell; the novel is absorbing, engaging, and well worth your time. The movie is very watchable, and definitely something to look out for if you ever spot it on tv.
Note; I actually bought and then read the book after hearing about the movie. I loved the idea, and wanted to read the book before I watched the movie. Anne Hathaway was a contributing factor too, she is a solid actress (and her rapping skills are scary impressive, heh).
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