The Vow

After a horrific car accident a wife has no memory of her husband or her familial issues and her husband has to make her fall in love with him all over again...

When a horrific winter time car accident and resulting brain injury causes "Paige"(Rachel McAdams) to forget all about her life and marriage to "Leo"(Tatum Channing), it puts major pressure on their relationship. "Paige" cannot remember anything of the last five years, when her life had taken a dramatic change and she had left her troubled family behind before marrying "Leo" after a serendipitous meeting. Now the last thing she remembers is being happily at home with her family and being engaged to "Jeremy"(Scott Speedman).

This leaves "Leo" at whits end, trying to figure out how to make the woman of his dreams, fall in love with him, all over again. Doctors say that her memory could return at any time, but in the meantime, her estranged family are taking full advantage of having their daughter back in their lives for the first time in half a decade, happy to hide their little indiscretions from her.

I went into the theater fairly convinced that this was going to be another teen heart throb, romcom, just like the sort that Hollywood are so good at force feeding us year after year, but was more than pleasantly surprised by "The Vow". For one, the plot was not predictable, and kept you guessing almost to the very end as to what was going to happen with the two leading characters (very out of character for romantic comedy).

The script, based on a true life couple, is touching and cute and no doubt had many an unwilling boyfriend or spouse squirming in the cinema as the story unfolds. There were a number of very audible "awwwws" as the film goes on, but has strong enough content to keep almost everybody in the audience interested.

Channing Tatum may have started his carrier in fluffy delights such as "Step Up, She's the Man and Dear John", but let me assure you, the boy can act. The 32 year old former model is no longer content to let his good looks take him places, and is showing audiences a new side to his talent. Yes, he still maintains the stunning good looks, which seems to be a drawing card to the most of almost all female audience, but behind his chiseled abs and boyish charm, lies some real acting talent. He delivers a fantastic performance as "Leo", showing various facets of a character, which in now way, was easy to grasp. I look forward to seeing him in more challenging roles in future as he fully unwraps the talent which the acting gods bestowed on him.

Alongside him Rachel McAdams, in the role of  "Paige", gives another stunning showing to follow up her recent exploits in "Sherlock Holmes 2" and the charming, "Midnight in Paris". The 34 year old Canadian plays the complex character with just the right amount of poise and confused angst, to make this one of her best performances to date. Together with Tatum the take the leading characters through what must be one of the most difficult situations that any couple can face, with the caring and compassion that the story so richly deserves.

Hollywood veterans Vince Neill and Jessica Lange, making her return to the big screen after a six year hiatus, give phenomenal performances as the parents of "Paige", desperately trying to make a second to start to the lives, which they imagined, ruined forever. The most pleasant surprise to come from this film, was the move from TV Movies to the big time, of Tatiana Maslany, who takes the role of "Lily", the supportive assistant to Tatum, and delivers a performance which should see her moving away from the small screen to a career in films. Keep an eye out for this young Canadian in the future as I think she may go far.

One of the most enjoyable romantic films I have seen in the past five years. The originality is re-assuring and with some stunning performances from the main players, this makes it a really decent watch and not just one for those who enjoy a good romance!

7/10