American filmmaker Michael Sucsy’s romantic drama THE VOW, from a screenplay by Abby Kohn and Matt Silverstein, features a journey that audiences can fully get involved with.

Channing Tatum plays Leo a regular, happily married man whose life suddenly takes a vicious twist of fate. In the middle of a snowstorm Leo and his wife Paige (well played by Rachel McAdams) are in a shocking car accident with his wife’s head goes through the front window. Paige is rushed to hospital and goes into an induced coma. When she does wake up, she has no memory of Leo or the time that they have spent together. Leo storms out of the hospital room in a mixture of disbelief and rage.

Leo’s thinking, how is this possible?! It’s like the universe has flicked a switch. One moment Leo is ecstatically happy and deeply in love with his new wife, the next minute he is contending with a wife who can’t remember him or any of their time together. And…Paige’s surgeon tells him that brain injury is a complex field and there’s no saying how things will go.

Tatum gives a strong performance in the leading role. Leo decides that he will take up the challenge and endeavour to win his wife’s love all over again. He has to contend with forces coming from all directions. The accident sees Paige’s wealthy parents, well played by two veterans- Sam Neill and Jessica Lange, come back into her life. They try to take back Paige into their clutches, disapproving of Leo, and encouraging her to go back to her law studies. Then Paige runs into her first love who still has strong feelings for her. Not only do we ponder how strong Leo’s commitment and character will be, but in the bigger picture, we are left wondering how strong our own commitment and character would be, faced with such struggles.

Sucsy’s film is based on a couple’s true life story.

(c) David Kary

6th March, 2012

Tags: Sydney Movie Reviews- THE VOW, Michael Sucy, Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Sam Neill, Jessica Lange, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary