(Plot) A young soldier gets his heartbroken by the woman he loves, so he goes AWOL with his buddy (Liam Hemsworth) and returns to the United States to try and win her back. They tell a regretful lie, and problems arise for them
I can't help but like this movie. It tried so hard to be a powerful film without being pretentious about it. Was it pretentious? Slightly but it really does have good intentions. I realize this subject is a touchy issue, so I'll use as much diligence & care as possible. My dad has told me tales & stories about the Vietnam War and what a crock a lot of it was. I tend to agree with him for my own personal reasons. That's what this movie's message is about. We do get sights of war going on, but it gives way to a couple fairly effective love stories. That's where the money & heart in this movie lies. The one between Dalton & (Stowell) Juniper (Teegarden) was a bit cold. It was really tough for me to feel sympathy for it, especially Juniper. Her shallowness angered me on a number of occasions, and I felt Dalton's character was written a bit too blasé with it all, aside from an intense scene at a club with him. His character sorely needed him to delve a little bit deeper in my opinion. Mickey (Hemsworth) & Candace (Palmer) come off much better. It was much more real. Hemsworth was able to balance a perfect combination of charismatic arrogance & likability, without going overboard on being too cocky, and that made him all the more sympathetic. Teresa Palmer is a favorite of mine, and I feel the sky is the limit for her. She absolutely nailed what could have been a thin part with conviction. I didn't like how the finale ended though. It felt a bit jumbled and contrived to be honest with you, before getting back on track with the ending
Final Thoughts: I always reward good efforts, and the effort here is undeniable. They didn't fully succeed with the powerful film they were going for, but for a romance film with war themes, I thought it was quite alright. It'll tug at your heart strings a bit. Worth a watch
5.7/10
I can't help but like this movie. It tried so hard to be a powerful film without being pretentious about it. Was it pretentious? Slightly but it really does have good intentions. I realize this subject is a touchy issue, so I'll use as much diligence & care as possible. My dad has told me tales & stories about the Vietnam War and what a crock a lot of it was. I tend to agree with him for my own personal reasons. That's what this movie's message is about. We do get sights of war going on, but it gives way to a couple fairly effective love stories. That's where the money & heart in this movie lies. The one between Dalton & (Stowell) Juniper (Teegarden) was a bit cold. It was really tough for me to feel sympathy for it, especially Juniper. Her shallowness angered me on a number of occasions, and I felt Dalton's character was written a bit too blasé with it all, aside from an intense scene at a club with him. His character sorely needed him to delve a little bit deeper in my opinion. Mickey (Hemsworth) & Candace (Palmer) come off much better. It was much more real. Hemsworth was able to balance a perfect combination of charismatic arrogance & likability, without going overboard on being too cocky, and that made him all the more sympathetic. Teresa Palmer is a favorite of mine, and I feel the sky is the limit for her. She absolutely nailed what could have been a thin part with conviction. I didn't like how the finale ended though. It felt a bit jumbled and contrived to be honest with you, before getting back on track with the ending
Final Thoughts: I always reward good efforts, and the effort here is undeniable. They didn't fully succeed with the powerful film they were going for, but for a romance film with war themes, I thought it was quite alright. It'll tug at your heart strings a bit. Worth a watch
5.7/10