- Movie Review.

Dear John, yet another adaptation of one of Nicholas Spark`s novels has all the ingredients of a romantic tearjerker; love, loss and separation. The story revolves around a star crossed couple, college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) and Special Forces soldier John (Channing Tatum) who meet on a South Carolina beach in early 2001 and fall head over heels in love. They promise to write regularly, until John returns in a year.

And so the journey begins, and as with any romantic movie, with ups and downs, though the ups are far and few while the obstacles keep on mounting, one after the other. The first is John’s re-enlistment after 9/11, which leaves Savannah alone and worried. The second is the inevitable Dear John letter, in which she tells her soul mate that she is about to marry someone else.

At times the actions of the characters fail to make sense and the only reason for you to continue watching the movie avidly is your complete faith in Nicholas Spark`s ability to twist a tale and sprinkle it with coincidences, impulsive actions and sometimes, simple faith. While Ryan Gosling played the role of a romantic hero to perfection in The Notebook, Tatum Channing`s performance leaves a lot to be desired. His good looks are his only saving grace. Amanda Seyfried on the other hand is perfect as Savanah, the idealistic college student and brings spunk to her role. All in all, the chemistry between the two is strong enough to keep you glued to the seat till the end. The supporting cast also holds its own against the main leads and in fact their existence is what helps to explain why Savanah and John do the things they do and think the way they do.

As is the case with all of Nicholas Spark`s adaptations, the soundtrack of Dear John is simply splendid, complimenting the movie and its characters. Paperweight and Set the fire to the third bar are part of the main soundtrack and aptly depict the situation and dilemmas the couple is facing.

All in all, it is a mediocre movie laced with romance, desperation and loss. Dear John is definitely not an Oscar winner but if you`re looking for a little escapism, bring your tissues and enjoy!