Rated PG-13, 105 minutes
Sappy and vapid, "Endless Love" remake still manages to entertain
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| Alex Pettyfer |
OK, I fully and completely admit to it right here. I am a sap when it comes to some romantic films and as determined to dislike the new remake of "Endless Love," I just couldn't. Sure, it's cliched and hardly anything new, but there's some appeal about seeing pretty people fall in love. The story of a privileged girl Jade (Gabriella Wilde) and a charismatic boy David (Alex Pettyfer) whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by Jade's stern father (Bruce Greenwood) trying to keep them apart. With charming leads, handsome photography and a semi-cool alt punk soundtrack, "Endless Love" will successfully appeal to the younger set. The good-looking Pettyfer ("Magic Mike") and sturdy character actor Greenwood ("Star Trek") in particular have some good moments, though British actress and model Wilde, while quite lovely, isn't as believable as an innocent, quite smitten young girl. Based on Scott Spencer's novel and a remake of the dreadful Franco Zefferelli 1981 film that featured a woefully miscast Brooke Shields, it's far more upbeat than either the novel or the earlier film, and admittedly, this new version won't be a classic either but there's far more to enjoy here than the pitiful melodrama of the earlier film. Pettyfer and Wilde have decent chemistry, even though they can't really do much with the cliched, sappy rich-poor storyline (particularly in its silly last act) that's as old and calculated as love itself. But for those desiring a fleeting escape from real life this Valentine's Day will enjoy all the sappy entertainment of pretty people falling in love that "Endless Love" has to offer. Even better is the alt rock-punk sountrack, with such enjoyable tunes as "All of Me" from the Tanlines and "Ends of the Earth" by Lord Huron.
Wes's Grade: B-
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