Nights in Rodanthe Reviewed

The magic of love is often in the small gestures. That's the power held in some of the scenes that will stay with you long after the closing credits of "Night in Rodanthe," the cinema adaptation of the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, have rolled on by. Truly mature and rich love is hard to portray on screen. It's easier to get across that sort of passion in a novel, where pages can be devoted to beautiful stories and histories that explain a connection so deep that time and all forces connect two souls. However, on the screen, it's hard to put into visuals that sort of back story. The reality of a found, belated haven in the arms of your soulmate is difficult--at best--to reveal on the silver screen.

George C. Wolfe, a director who you may know as an actor for his great portrayal of Paul in "A Devil Wears Prada," directs this movie with a light touch and an intelligence of understanding how much a part of the story the place is. Set in Rodanthe, North Carolina, the setting is a character in and of itself, cradling and upending the characters until they cannot help but see what is right in front of their loving hearts. The warmth of falling in love is captured to perfection in the sweeping shots and intense close ups.

Diane Lane and Richard Gere sizzle as a pair of wounded souls, Paul and Adrienne Paul is escaping to Rodanthe to deal with a big problem, and Adrienne is helping out a friend with hosting her inn. They find an escape in one another's arms, but they give one another the courage to become once again grounded in a reality that they were neglecting. The art of the film has it grounded in the present day, providing flashbacks at crucial points in the story. You meet them where they are, in the midst of their pain. The source of how they got to this point is artfully unraveled like peeling layers. While Gere's Paul is a bit unlikable at first, he redeems himself. In fact, the movie avoids stereotypes while, at first, seeming to embrace them. The angry teenager, the little boy hiding within himself, the cold and aloof stranger, and the bitter divorcee all seem like characters we've seen one too many times in the movies....Yet, nothing is what it seems, and nobody is one-dimensional. The characters are treated with respect by the writers and the director, and all end up believable as walking, talking human beings. Gifted actors thrive with a great script and under fantastic direction. That's proven here.

A romantic comedy this isn't. Yet, it is as uplifting as a film that has you chuckling in the isles. Like the legends Adrienne likes to tell about Rodanthe, there is a hidden magic to the movie. Somehow all the conventions of filmmaking storytelling merge to create a fantastic and original movie. With the courage to show some true beauty in this world while simultaneously acknowledging the rotten, all involved in this movie have achieved the making of a great movie. It's worth your movie money.

"Nights in Rodanthe" is a mature love story that reveals being true to your heart is love in action.

"Nights in Rodanthe" is rated PG-13.