Nights in Rodanthe | Christian Toto reviews, DVD, Romance | DONNE TEMPO
Nights in Rodanthe
That's close enough by modern movie standards, which often teams aging actors with much chirpy ingenues.
The same can't be said for "Nights in Rodanthe," a romance that offers gorgeous scenery but only intermittent sparks. Viewers with a weakness for romance novels will accept some of the more cloying dialogue. Others will cluck their tongues as the story moves toward its maudlin finish.
Lane plays Adrienne, a strong-willed mother of two who recently found out her husband (Christopher Meloni) has been cheating on her. She offers to watch over the North Carolina vacation house owned by her longtime pal (Viola Davis) during a rather stormy weekend.
She could use some time to clear her head, even if it means enduring a hurricane.
The house's sole guest for the weekend is Dr. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere), in town to speak with the family of a patient who died during a routine procedure.
So neither Adrienne or Paul seems primed for romance, but they meet, talk and slowly fall for each other all the same.
And that's part of the film's problem. The duo's scenes feel more like therapy sessions than bona fide conversations. She 'fesses up to one of her personal woes and he does his best to comfort her. Then, it's his turn to share how he put his work over his family for years while she beams with maternal support - and later something more.
And on it goes, and while the actors share a few tender moments, there's little coherency to their romance.
Sure, the scenery is breathtaking and few on-screen couples look as right for each other as Gere and Lane. But the film's forced romantic sequences, and a hurricane sequence which seems like an afterthought rather than passion starter, leave audiences adrift.
The goods: Lane. Gere. Romances can't ask for a more compelling couple. And the North Carolina setting is ideal for anyone in the mood for on screen love.
The mandatory extras: Cricket, cricket. None, although the disc includes both full and widescreen versions. We'll guess a souped up version will be released at some point if enough folks pick up this initial disk. And given the fact that the Lane/Gere combo is a good draw, that's plenty likely.
Above and beyond: "Nights in Rodanthe" seems like a lost opportunity every step of the way, from the wasted North Carolina backdrop to even the perfunctory appearance by Scott Glenn as a grieving widower. Maybe the third Gere/Lane romance will get the duo back on track.
— Christian Toto
