My review of One Day

One Day is a 2011 film written by David Nicholls (based upon the book of the same title, also written by Nicholls) and directed by Lone Scherfig. It stars Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott, Rafe Spall, Jodie Whittaker, and Romola Garai. It was released on August 19, 2011.

The film begins with Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) riding her bike on July 15, 2006. Then it rewinds back to July 15, 1988. The entire film is a series of snapshots into the lives of two people. We visit them on each July 15 from 1988 to present-day. Our first glimpse of the couple is on the occasion of their college graduation. They get friendly and end up spending the night together (just sleeping). They vow after that day to remain friends. As the film progresses, we see them grow and change over the years. Emma's trajectory travels from a dead-end job at a Tex-Mex restaurant to a successful turn as a novelist. Dexter acquires quick fame on television and an even quicker fall from grace. We see their relationship with each other in good moments and in bad. Their personalities clash. Emma is down-to-earth and middle class. Dexter comes from money and is a playboy far too reliant on his good looks and charm. The good in Emma shines from beginning to end in this film. We see flashes of goodness in Dexter, but he's initially so full of himself that he has to fall before he truly understands how he feels about Emma. Eventually, there's a four-year point where they stop speaking to each other. During all of this, each have their share of relationships. Ian (Rafe Spall, son of Harry Potter's Timothy Spall) never seems right for Emma, and neither do the women Dexter carry on with, even the one who marries him and has a daughter with him. The film progresses, Dexter gets a clue, the stars finally align, the journey pays off, and Dexter and Emma are together. Yay! But then there's a problem that nearly ruins the entire film for me. It's a spoiler, so don't scroll to the bottom of this page unless you want to read it.

Soooooo, about Anne's accent. I'm honestly not the best judge. The bulk of my experience with the English accent(s) has been by way of Monty Python and the Harry Potter films. I felt it sounded OK most of the film, though there were parts where it just sounded like she was trying too hard. If it was bad, I still say the absolute worst was Keanu Reeves' accent in Bram Stoker's: Dracula. It might have been better had Anne gone the Kirsten Dunst route in Marie Antoinette, and not even bothered attempting an accent at all. Having said that, the bigger issue is that Anne Hathaway is pretty unconvincing as a frumpy woman lacking in confidence. One of Hollywood's most attractive actresses plays a character that initially doesn't believe she's that beautiful? Ha! C'mon Anne, you're not Saffy. We don't believe you, you need more people.

The cinematography was lovely, as it tends to be with most films based in Europe. Anne and Jim are pleasant to watch, and so is the scenery of the cities they inhabit and visit. The cinematography alone was worth the price of admission to me.

I think it's a sweet film overall. It's worth at least one viewing. Anne Hathaway has this natural niceness about her, and that makes Emma extremely likable. Dexter is less so, but he gets it together as the film progresses. I felt that Anne and Jim had strong chemistry, and the friendship (and later romance) was believable. I liked what they had. Watching them stumble, then pick themselves up reminded me of a lot of my friends' relationships. Alas, there is one huge problem I had with this film. I can't talk about it without spoiling it, so stop reading RIGHT NOW if you don't want it spoiled.

SPOILER WARNING!


SPOILER WARNING!


SPOILER WARNING!


SPOILER WARNING!


I hated...hated...HATED the ending! It was cheap, unnecessary, jarring, deliberately manipulative, arbitrary, and completely out of tone with the entire film. It was a the cinematic equivalent of a train derailment. Really? Emma just randomly gets hit by a truck and dies? WHY?! What was the point of that? From the moment it started the film's tone had been consistently light-hearted and sweet.

I was enraged when that happened. ENRAGED. I wanted to throw my phone at the movie screen. Do you know how often I watch romantic movies? I make it a point to avoid them, as most are an insult to real people and real relationships. But this looked really promising, so I took a chance and went in. And until the climax/twist/ending, my gamble paid off. Emma and Dexter are made for each other, and I sat there rooting for them in the hopes they figure it out. And they did! And I was happy! And the movie would have been just fine had they ended it there, but then they go the Nicholas Sparks route and shoehorn a tragedy in the whole thing. Actually, I think this is WORSE than Nicholas Sparks. At least in The Notebook, the couple was already elderly and one suffered from Dememtia, so the death didn't just come out of the blue.

I'm not against killing off characters, I just think the tone of a film should remain consistent. 'Shit Happens' should not be a plot device. When something happens, there needs to be a reason for it beyond 'just because'. While no one expects every movie to have a happy ending, every movie doesn't require tragedy, either. I can't even express how badly the ending derails the film. Otherwise, One Day is great! Let me repeat that. Apart from the ending, One Day is great! It is rare I can say that about any romantic movie. It would have been just fine if the writer had given Emma and Dexter a happy ending. Following them for all those years and then killing Emma just seems cruel. Having said that, I found the film mostly lovely.