'The Vow' Rises Above Trite Romantics

There are several inherent problems with films that are "based on a true story." For one, the phrase is something of an oxymoron—stories usually imply fiction, so how can they be a "true" fiction? But the bigger problem for me is how close to the truth is that word "based?" Maybe not everyone is bothered by the lack of specificity, but after spending two hours becoming attached to characters, it's not that unreasonable to wonder just how much of what you have watched is real life and how much is fantasy.

Although The Vow is as typical of a chick flick as its name implies (and the female:male ratio of the theater will inevitably be quite high), it takes the cliches of the genre and make them worth watching because it is based on a true story. Knowing that there are real people who have gone through the trials and tribulations of the film immediately creates a deeper investment, since it is not a plotline cooked up by a set of female writers who are talking about Valentine's Day over Cosmos and a box of chocolates. Rather, the struggles of Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) are real and extraordinary.

Beginning with the tragic car accident that erases the last five years of McAdams' life–during which she quit law school, moved from Stepford-ville suburbia to Chicago, met Tatum, fell in love, and got married, all of which are rather important life decisions–the film flits back and forth between the couple's fatalistic courtship and their present tragedy.

McAdams has already established herself as the queen of romance with the likes of The Notebook and The Time Traveler's Wife, and she does not disappoint as the confused, overwhelmed Paige who cannot remember the stranger saying he is her husband. It's hard to pin down why McAdams is so endearing and captivating in this genre, because to be honest, the differences between Allie, Clare, and now Paige are slim. Yet McAdams is seldom criticized for playing it safe in her career choices or being boring on screen. Personally, I think this is due to a combination of the magnetism of her eyes and smile (I may or may not have a huge girl crush on McAdams) and the honest emotion that she carries. All of her switches are believable and incredibly gut-wrenching, from jittery and angry with Tatum for pushing her to remember too quickly, to beaming when they revisit places they first fell in love, to broken-hearted and helpless when she cannot honestly respond to Tatum's love declarations because she still does not remember who he is.

Meanwhile, Tatum's shinning abilities in this film lie in his brooding and self-deprecation. There's no denying that this is a film aimed to take advantage of females' Valentine's Day fever, and director Michael Sucsy incorporates plenty of shots of Tatum staring longingly at McAdams, as if willing her to remember him. But the more impressive part of Tatum's performance (the part that actually takes some chops rather than luck in genetics) is his ability to switch from that nearly depressive state to a hapless romantic who says "I can do better" and asks for a re-do when he kisses McAdams for the first time after the accident, and his humor is essential to keeping the film on the better side of emotional.

However, Sucsy does fall into some overly dramatic, trite shots that destroy so many romance-centered films. For example, he abuses slow motion shots that (in scenes like the car accident) are dramatic, but can quickly (in scenes like Tatum and McAdams running away from museum guards after their covert wedding) become cringe-worthy. Sucsy did make sure, though, for every one of his more self-indulgent techniques to include a shot of Tatum without a shirt on. So most viewers forgave Sucsy pretty readily.

Luckily, The Vow assuages some of the "based on a true story" frustration with an update in the credits on the current state of the real people who inspired the film. And since films are, at their essence, created to mimic, explain, and document the most confusing parts of the human experience, this film rises above the worn out romantic genre as it immortalizes one couple's haunting struggle to redefine themselves and their relationship.