In 1981, the first ‘Endless Love’ was released, based on the Scott Spencer novel of the same name. While a moderate success (let's be honest) the greatest thing to come out of that movie was its title song by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. Nevertheless, in a current landscape of remakes, sequels and films based on toys, the powers that be have allowed this tale of young love another go at the hand of ‘Country Strong’ director Shana Feste.
This time around they’ve left the crazy, obsessive love at the door and replaced it with youthful, innocent, deeply passionate love in a ‘Say Anything’ meets ‘The Notebook’ kind of way.
Upon their high school graduation, wallflower Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde) regrets not getting to know her fellow students, instead spending her high school days with her nose in books or hanging out with her parents following the death of her older brother a few years earlier. David (Alex Pettyfer) however, regrets never talking to Jade.
SWITCH: 'ENDLESS LOVE' TRAILER
After the pair have a lively chance encounter, it’s clear that they both feel the same way and begin a passionate love affair, much to the chagrin of Jade’s overprotective father Hugh (Bruce Greenwood). Constantly in a battle to keep them apart, Hugh ends up fracturing his family in ways he couldn’t imagine and that he might not be able to repair.
Surprisingly not as corny as its title suggests, this is actually a decent film. Sure, it’s full of clichés and some dialogue that makes you want to either vomit or punch the writer, but when delivered by talented, charismatic people, it’s quite passable.
Pettyfer and Wilde fit the roles perfectly in that "annoyingly too beautiful" way, and they do create some genuine sparks and those secret self-loathing moments of ‘I want what they have.”
Hey - it's Valentine’s Day and it’s non-fattening. You could do worse.