The Red Right Hand
  www.theredrighthand.co.uk





DEAR JOHN
Is Duty Enough Reason To Live A Lie?

Director
Lasse Hallstrom

Starring
Channing Tatum
Amanda Seyfried
Richard Jenkins

Dear John,
I know we haven't known each other long - heck, it was only one hundred and five minutes - but I felt that was more than sufficient time to generate these thoughts. There are quite a few positive elements in your film but by-and-large, it's poop. Just poop. Sorry, kid. You've got a lot of heart and I know you tried your best but ... poop.

Ok, so you're probably expecting quite the cranky review with some fair points but ultimately a massive tirade, tearing this film to shreds. You wouldn't be far off but possibly a little surprised to hear that I didn't think Dear John was nearly as bad as it could have been. Granted, the framework was clichéd, the acting was wooden, the plot flow stagnated at times, the characters were disgustingly two dimensional and the various developments were predictable and unbearably convenient but it was still tolerable.

Set in the summer of 2001, the story follows John, a young soldier on leave [Tatum] and the sensible college girl he falls for, Savannah [Seyfried]. After a chance meeting they spend two weeks together in a manner that can only be presented on film: montage. Cue lots of walking on the beach, holding hands, kissing, building a house, laughing about absolutely nothing, eating, bonding, blah blah bloody blah. Thankfully, after this rather tedious opening, we get to the meat of the drama. John is recalled to active duty, having promised Savannah that their year apart will be over soon. Over a series of two/three months the couple correspond via letters, spouting platitudes like 'it only took two weeks to fall in love with you' and 'I can't live without you now I've found you' etc. Then, at the height of their longing for one another, 11th September roles around. From here on, John is forced to choose between his duty, obligations and love for a girl. The correspondence continues but after a brief period of silence, John receives a letter explaining that 'this is the hardest thing I'll ever do' (if you're frowning right now, it's a "you're getting dumped" letter - also known as a 'Dear John' in America). Distracted by this and wrought with various emotions, John goes off and gets shot. That's not a spoiler, that's explained at the start. The story goes on for another hour but then I would have to get into some major plot reveals, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Unfortunately, there's so much working against this film. First off, it's written by Nicholas Sparks whose novel, The Notebook, went on to enjoy great cinematic success. As such, it's an overly emotional wreck, aimed at a specific target audience who go to see films of this nature to quote, "have a good cry". All that means to everyone else, is the entire thing is riddled with awful dialogue and ridiculous interpretations of what young love is. Then we have to address how the characters are drawn and handled. Everyone seems to serve one purpose and does little to deviate from that character type; if they cause any waves or look like they might jeopardise the plot they are conveniently 'removed' - without trying to spoil anything. Then there's the production, which was largely acceptable but elements like music were hideously trite: the same fucking female country/folk singers and bland piano pieces over-and-over.

**Spoiler moment here**
So, what actually works for this film? Well, it's reasonably well shot, although feels a tad disconnected from the subject matter and plays heavily on the awesome power of THE MONTAGE! But in truth, the key aspect to this film's success is the story of a boy coming to terms with his father's disability and eventual death. It's written just as sickly as anything else by Sparks but it feels so much more important and heartfelt than anything between the young lovers. The problem is, like every other conflict in this film, it is simply resolved by 'removing' the character.

All-in-all, not nearly as bad and sappy as it potentially could have been but not as surprisingly emotional and devastatingly successful as The Notebook.

Release Date:
16th April 2010

The Scene To Look Out For:
**Spoiler time**
As stated above, the film actually turns around midway. Opening on a typically botched military operation, John narrates that the last thing he thought of before he blacked out was 'you'. Thankfully, the twist of who the letter was directed to was incredibly pleasant and for one brief moment the film actually looked as if it might be something more than it was originally marketed as. Then it sank back into its stroppy teenagery self and prattled on about being with people and not being with people and hugging and other indulgent shite. Actually, having written all that, I've just remembered the look on Savannah's face when she learns that John's father has died... some of the worst acting I've seen in a long time.

Notable Characters:
It's difficult to really put a finger on a standout performance, simply for the fact that the two leads don't really seem to perform a great deal, they just swing back and forth between happy and sad. I suppose I enjoyed Henry Thomas' role as the kindly neighbour and friend of the family but even then his character is dealt so many disservices that you can't help but forget about him all too quickly.

Highlighted Quote:
"I'm a coin of the United States army. I was minted in the year 1980. I've been punched from sheet metal, I've been stamped and cleaned, my edges have been rimmed and bevelled but now I have two small holes in me. I'm no longer in perfect condition"

In A Few Words:
"A fairly tolerable romantic drama that failed to truly annoy me but in no way is it a 'good' film. This morning I came up with a new word to describe something that is mildly displeasing: Cramsons. Even at its best Dear John is cramsons"

Total Score:
5/10


Matthew Stogdon