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Aug 20, 2011 By Chris Tinkham #37 – St. Vincent

English writer David Nicholls’ screen adaptation of his bestselling romantic novel, One Day, is the source for director Lone Scherfig’s follow-up to her 2009 breakout success, An Education. One Day stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, two British college acquaintances who gravitate to each other after graduation in 1988. Emma is a principled working-class girl with ideas of becoming a writer. Dexter is a free spirit from a wealthy family. Amid sexual tension and flirtatiously sardonic banter, Em and Dex form a complicated, longstanding friendship that straddles romantic and platonic as they go their separate ways and endure dispiriting life lessons.

Like the book, the film checks in on the pair on successive July 15ths (St. Swithin’s Day) over the course of 20 years. It’s a hit-and-miss narrative tactic that sometimes disrupts the flow of the film. Em and Dex aren’t especially likable early on, and Hathaway seems miscast for box office purposes. Though her charisma eventually shines through, the film belongs to Sturgess, whose performance is multifaceted. Rachel Portman delivers a pretty musical theme that’s used far too insistently, the soundtrack consists of smartly chosen throwback songs, and Benoît Delhomme’s photography is lovely. (www.focusfeatures.com/one_day)

Author rating: 6/10