Mr. Efron is Logan, a veteran marine recently returned from his third tour of Iraq and suffering from a bit of post traumatic stress disorder. After moping around his sister's house in Colorado, he and his dog take off - on foot, no less - for Louisiana to find a mystery girl (single mom Beth, Taylor Schilling) whose picture he found in a combat zone and has been carrying as a talisman since then. The implausibility of identifying the exact lighthouse she's standing in front of, locating said lighthouse, and finding the girl herself, isn't even acknowledged and soon enough he's standing on her doorstep and taking a job at the dog kennel she runs. The story follows the standard romance forumla after that: there's Beth's family tragedy, her bully of an ex-husband and the secret of why Logan's there in the first place between them. It's all too predictable and none too interesting.
Where "Charlie St. Cloud" was clearly a vehicle for Mr. Efron's abs, "The Lucky One" focuses more on his arms. Which is a good thing. Heaven forbid the film focus on his acting. People have been known to give Keanu Reeves a hard time for being wooden, but he's got nothing on Mr. Efron, whose emotional range is as superficial as it is binary: he can do dull (which could alternatively be called "not acting") and he can do animated. Any time he tries to stray into a place with more depth, it's just plain painful. Frankly, this is getting a little embarrassing. It's time for a heart to heart: less time in the gym, more time in acting classes. Seriously. It'll help.
The relatively unknown Ms. Schilling doesn't do much better - but look what she has to work with. She's tasked with carrying her co-star through what could have been an interesting story. But with such an unresponsive partner, everything she does comes across as erratic and shrill, making her eminently unlikeable. Why do we care about these characters? Actually, we don't. As evidenced by some of the more ostensibly tender moments in the film - which earned more sniggers than sniffles in the theater.
Blythe Danner is the movie's one glimmer of hope, with perfectly-timed wry looks and arched brows as she watches the youngsters fall for each other. But even her casting is not quite right. She's meant to be Beth's grandmother but mother would be much more believable. Beth is just far too old. Too old, perhaps, even for Logan, who despite three tours in Iraq still doesn't seem like he's seen that much. Probably it's the acting.
Those looking for another "The Notebook", also based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, should look elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with the script, adapted by Will Fetters, but there's nothing right about its execution. Not even director Scott Hicks, whose work on "Shine" was nominated for an Oscar, can help. Those looking for some eye candy may have better luck, but don't say you weren't warned. Avoid this film altogether and you'll be the lucky one.
| Movie title | The Lucky One |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2012 |
| MPAA Rating | PG-13 |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Zac Efron is as wooden as ever in this cardboard romance. Those looking for another "The Notebook" should look elsewhere. |
