From one brief look at its poster, you very much know what to expect from Safe Haven, the latest film from Dear John director Lasse Hallström, based on a novel from the author of The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks. Even that sentence will tell you all you need to know, let alone the loving embrace of the two leads on the poster. Yes, Safe Haven is the latest sappy romantic novel to be adapted to the big screen, naturally marketed towards the female under 25 demographic, featuring two sexy stars who fall in love – but not before a few bags of emotion and secrets are kicked out onto the curb. And in this film, there are more dirty bags than an episode of Home and Away.
OK, so I daresay it’s pretty obvious from the outset that this wasn’t going to be my sort of film. But I do head into any film I see with an open mind. If these sorts of films are good, it doesn’t matter what your reservations are, you’re going to enjoy it. But these sorts of films, which rely on corny dialogue and sentimentality, as well as ridiculous circumstances and situations (sometimes painfully so), are usually so far away from that realm of relatability and enjoyment that I feel I should have brought a sick bag along with me for the unpleasureable ride.
So with this in mind, I’m surprised to say I actually enjoyed this film. Well, to a point.
Let’s take you to the beginning of the film, as any good reviewer should. We meet Katie (Julianne Hough). She’s a damsel in distress. The distress in this case being that it she’s probably killed someone. But we’re blurry on the details. All we know is that she barely escapes getting caught at a bus station from the typical “I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND I WILL FIND YOU” policeman Kevin (Australia’s own David Lyons). But it’s okay because she’s our sexy protagonist and so you immediately assume she’s either innocent or deserves to get away, like any fine cinematic damsel. We also know from the poster she’s totally going to meet someone handsome and fall in love. And that’s what we came here to see, wasn’t it?
Indeed, as she stumbles upon a quiet seaside community and she picks up a job as a waitress, we meet Alex (Josh Duhamel, aka Tad Hamilton for those playing at home), a single father of two kids, one of whom is cute as a button and the other who has behaviourable issues. We soon find out he’s a widower, and suddenly we already have aforementioned bags filled with death, murder and unhappy kids who need a mother figure in their lives. Yep, all the boxes are ticked for drama that only love can solve.
At this point we’re about an hour into the film, and it’s not terrible, in spite of my expectation and reservations. The script, with some minor exceptions, has been decent, the edits have had a few problems but in general it’s well enough put together, the actors have been enjoyable (the daughter is adorable) and everything is going as predictably as you expect it to. But then the film shifts and, unless you read the book or “called it” earlier, it becomes the opposite movie you expect it to. The final third of the film is as suspenseful as you’ll find in any setting. Once Hallström has pulled you out of the realm of predictability, you’re convinced anything can happen. And that’s a rare position for a director to be in for this sort of film, let alone a rare position for the audience member.
They could have easily made it sappier than they did, they could have easily made it cornier than they did. They threw in enough lines to keep romantic tragics happy, but at the heart of this film is actually a very engrossing story. Somehow this tangled web of death, love, murder and small town comforts (not to mention a creepy cabin in the middle of the woods) manages to work as a film that rests somewhere between the genres of romantic fluff and damsel in distress thriller and get away with it.
In saying this, the final “twist” felt incredibly tagged on, and I have a feeling the character of Jo (Cobie Smulders) worked well in the literary world, but her effect here seemed to do little more than appease fans of the book. Which is fair enough, but made for a final couple of minutes that did enduce the sick bag.
Look, this sort of film isn’t normally my thing. And let’s face it, it still isn’t. Emotionally manipulative? Sure. Stereotypes of genres? They’re all here! But the genre-crossing story makes for something strangely engrossing and enjoyable, even it if is half an hour too long. But this Valentines Day, Safe Haven is probably going to be your only choice for a big screen romantic film, and I’m pleased to say it’s not going to be a bad choice either. Just turn off your mind and enjoy the ride.
Look out for the fantastic Canadian band The Deep Dark Woods who make an appearance in the film, too.
Review Score: 6.0 out of 10.
