Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes, if you’re looking for a feel good movie.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 128 minutes (~2.25 hours)
“The Longest Ride” is a romantic film based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. It follows the tumultuous romance of a bull rider and art enthusiast, even as they learn about a decades old romance from a man they save. It stars Britt Robertson (Sophia Danko), Scott Eastwood (Luke Collins), Alan Alda (Ira), Jack Huston (Young Ira), and Oona Chaplin (Ruth).
“The Longest Ride” is, admittedly, my first Nicholas Sparks movie. Surprisingly, it isn’t as bad as I had been told – the story might be forced and transparent at times, but it stills delivers a heart warming experience and a touching romance. By telling the two tales of star crossed lovers, either story is prevented from being too monotonous and it also provides much needed variety.
Highlights
Cute lines
You can’t say the dialogue is clever, but characters spout the occasional gem which makes you sit up and take note. It helps that the bulk of the exchanges are romantic in nature, so these memorable gems are actually integrated into the story, rather than being fun asides that you could do without. Then again, for a movie based on a novel, you should expect nothing less.
Bull riding scenes give it an interesting twist
Rather than having the typical romanticised setting, the film opts to place a significant portion of it amidst a bull riding backdrop, and the another chunk in the world of galleries and collections. The bull riding portion gives it a fresh jolt of action in what is otherwise a straight up chick flick. True, glamour shots abound for the protagonist in the bull riding sections, but it’s still an interesting and integrated part of the film.
Ira and Ruth’s charming love story
Perhaps it’s because it’s set in a more innocent time, or perhaps it’s because of the incredibly vintage filters used for those scenes. But Ira and Ruth have a far more touching love story than Luke and Sophia, spanning heartbreak and pain, but ending meaningful. It’s rightly so that they are the example which helps mend Luke and Sophia’s inevitable conflict, and serves as the cement which holds all the stories together.
Letdowns
Scott Eastwood doesn’t look like a cowboy
In what is quite a severe bit of miscasting, Luke Collins looks nothing like the hardened veteran that you’d expect of a bull rider. It breaks verisimilitude because he’s far too polished to believably be a competent bull rider, let alone a world class one at that. Fortunately, the riding scenes are still done pretty well, which helps mitigate this otherwise terrible casting choice.
Plastic foreshadowing
There’s completely no subtlety in the foreshadowing techniques used. Hints hit you harder than anvils, which practically scream out future plot points to you. That’s not to say it’s all bad, since the blatant set up guarantees a pay off later. It’s just that hammering home such points results in a lack of tension and surprise for the rest of the film.
Coincidentally random objects being found in coincedentally random places
If there’s an ironic theme for this movie, it’s that love brings coincidence wherever it goes. So significant objects keep turning up in the hands of characters who need it the most, without any rhyme or reason. Sure, most plots require some level of dramatic coincidences, but this movie dials the notch up to ten.
Ultimately, “The Longest Ride” has quite a bit of heart and is a feel good movie, what with its decades-spanning romance, themes of love and commitments, and positive ending for its protagonists. If you’re looking for a chick flick that has action elements, this movie has both.
“The Longest Ride” opens in cinemas 9 April, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
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