Movie review by Russell Pinkston

The Vow is about Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum), a young newlywed couple madly in love who are involved in an automobile accident.   Leo is not hurt but Paige is thrown through the windshield and suffers memory loss….basically the loss of all memories of being married, in love and nice.   She turns her back on her husband and friends and turns to her parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) who she had not talk to for a very long time (and for good reasons).   Leo is undeterred by her newfound disinterest and anger toward him and sets out to make his wife fall back in love with him.    

The Vow  is yet another romantic drama trying to sucker the American female movie going public.   Husbands and boyfriends who are dragged to this movie are truely the ones who will really suffer.  Despite starring two past successful romantic drama leads (Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams) this is not the sappy, make you tear up, love story you might expect.  It’s a water down version and really quite boring and sad.   This movie is loosely based on the true story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter.  In real life they are happily married with kids despite the fact she has never regained her memory.  In the movie world this movie is poorly written.  The actors read their lines but you don’t feel for them.   They are just playing a role and collecting a paycheck.

Jessica Lange who has recently won awards for her role in FX’s American Horror Story (and will be returning for season 2) just looked old and tired….which is how I felt after sitting through this movie.   Rob Roy, Blue Sky and Everybody’s All-American are far better movies of hers.  

Rachel McAdams is known for her romantic movies especially The Notebook and The Time Traveler’s Wife but I actually like her more in Red Eye, The Family Stone and the Sherlock Holmes movies.

Channing Tatum has been in a couple of decent romantic dramas, Dear John and Step Up.  He was great in The Dilemma.   Earlier this year he co-starred in Haywire and later this year will be starring in 21 Jump Street and GI Joe: Retaliation (with The Rock and Bruce Willis).  

Overall this movie didn’t tug at my heartstrings but instead I fought the urge to sleep.   I say Skip this movie and see their earlier and much better movies again instead.