Starring Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum. Written by Jason Katims, Abby Kohn, Stuart Sender, Marc Silverstein, Michael Sucsy. Directed by Michael Sucsy. PG. 103 min. Opens Feb. 10.
Of the handful of implausible aspects in Michael Sucsy’s romantic dramedy The Vow, the plot is not one of them. That’s largely because the film’s stars, Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum—who play Paige and Leo, a totally in-love married couple whose relationship is virtually erased when a car accident robs Paige of the past five years’ worth of memories—have a remarkable chemistry in both good times and weird ones. McAdams especially nails the subtle personality shifts as her character goes from being a confident, ambitious, indie-looking sculptor to a girl who thinks she’s still enrolled in law school and is a bit of a daddy’s girl. Tatum plays off this strange situation pretty well. His Leo exudes a natural mix of concern and frustration as he tries to convince Paige that they love each other, and then works to win back her heart.
Where The Vow comes off as a bit too fantastical is in its depiction of Paige and Leo’s social scene. They live in a sweet Chicago apartment and Paige has her own studio space, yet she seems to be just coming into her own as a sculptor; meanwhile, Leo’s indie recording studio seems to be in trouble when he’s not there, but he’s more concerned with re-wooing Paige. (It’s sort of like the Friends paradox where people live a comfortable downtown existence, seemingly without ever needing to work.) Mostly, though, it’s hard to believe that hunky Leo, with his football-ready physique, spends all of his time recording bands. I mean, have you ever seen Steve Albini?
Aside from the sparky dynamic between its leads, The Vow largely succeeds by downplaying the Hollywood-ness of the love story. Sure, there are clichéd elements like the slightly douchey ex-fiance (Scott Speedman), chilly in-laws (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange as the parents Paige has been avoiding) and all manner of quirky couples’ rituals, but the film’s drama rarely descends into melodrama. Still, the arc of this love story is a bit too flat to elevate Paige and Leo into a truly memorable on-screen against-all-odds romance like Titanic’s Jack and Rose or Baby and Johnny in Dirty Dancing. The Vow is bound to be the go-to movie for Valentine’s dates this year but, even with McAdams’ inclusion, it isn’t quite the successor to The Notebook many were surely hoping for.
