The Vow (2012)

Question: Have you ever lied to a friend about why you saw a movie? I have. In fact, I told a little fib recently on why I saw The Vow in order to avoid some teasing. My friend asked if I was viewing the movie just for reviewing purposes and not because I wanted to. My response: "I sacrifice for you all". Such a lie... Bottom line: I am a romantic through and through; and some days I need a sappy, overly-cliched chick-flick to remind me that love is all around in this cynical world that we live in. Is there anything wrong with that? I hope not. So, I am now confessing, slightly red-cheeked, to the world that I went and saw The Vow because I WANTED TO (There, I said it!). Plus, I have seen an awful lot of "guy" films lately. There are simply times when I need to remember I am a girl and I do like some girl things; and The Vow was the perfect reminder. I would like to apologize to the male population now: Channing Tatum's character is what we girls dream of - not the looks (or maybe some of you do) but it's his actions towards the woman he loves, in The Vow, that make us weak in the knees and we want you all to be just like that. High standards for you all, I know. Sorry, but that is the honest truth on what "we" desire out of love. And I must apologize to the female population for spilling our secret, but I just had to because we really need to come clean. The Vow is based on a true story of a young couple who fell in love, got married and started a wonderful life together. One night there was a car accident and the wife (Rachel McAdams) has a traumatic brain injury that erases her memory of the past five years - the years she met, fell in love and had a life with her husband (Channing Tatum). When he discovers she has no memory of him or their life together it hit me hard. He portrayed a man who was just struck where it truly hurt him the most, but he had to remain strong to help her recover, mentally and physically. Channing Tatum did a fantastic job in this role, and it surprised me at how believable his character was to me. I got sucked right into the story because of him. What happens with the rest of the story will remain a mystery because that is how I do things around here. However, I will tell you guys to check out a few things that might help you understand us gals a little bit better. Think of The Vow as a good training tool for you boys. I am not saying this film will solve the entire mystery of us girls, because even I don't get us some days...haha...but when it comes to romance we are all pretty similar in what we want - simplicity and honesty. Before memory loss: The box (and its contents) he gives her while she is at work. So freaking cute. The reaction he has about her work. That's when you know someone truly loves you. And in his vows, one word struck me and just adding it in made the vows perfect. After memory loss: His understanding, patience and desire to take care of her. His reaction when he takes her on their second first date. Precious. The willingness to allow his wife to be who she was, at any moment, even if it wasn't in his best interest. The greatest gift you could give anyone - allowing them to be themselves and not change them to fit your desires. I will say there were definitely some sappy parts that did not tug at my heart strings, although I did hear many people weeping in the movie theatre. For once I didn't turn into a puddle of mush in a romance film. That kind of shocked me. But all-in-all The Vow was a sweet romance that I hope can teach people an important lesson - allow the person you love to be who they are, no matter what. Directed by Michael Sucsy, Screen Gems, 2012 Starring:Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange, Scott Speedman and Sam Neill. Genre: Drama, Romance. My favorite thing: Channing Tatum. My least favorite thing: That I didn't have a good cry. I do like having those moments in the theatre - it's cathartic for me but maybe next time. Rating: PG-13 Length: 104 Minutes Rating: 6 out of 10 First published on www.expatspost.com