Netflix Self-Torture Experiment Trilogy #18: P.S. I Love You

This was a suggestion from snackajawea, and it’s already starting off on the wrong foot because it stole its title from a Beatles song.

Synopsis from Netflix: When she loses her beloved husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) to a brain tumor, grieving widow Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) is surprised to learn that he left a series of letters behind to help her cope with the pain of being without him. As the months drag on, Holly finds messages from Gerry that encourage her to go on living. But will the letters mire her deeper into the past, or will they give her the strength she needs to face the future?

My thoughts (serious spoilers included): Dammit. This could have been a pretty good movie, but the execution just wasn’t there. There isn’t much development of the relationship between Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler before he dies, at least not in a positive sense. Literally, the film begins with a scene of them fighting for almost ten minutes and then they roll the opening credits and BOOM—it’s a scene of his wake service. What the hell? No tender scenes of them together? No emotional scenes of them dealing with his chemotherapy treatments? Nope, he’s just dead right from the start.

Admittedly, there are some flashback scenes which attempt to establish rapport between the characters but even in a couple of them they’re fighting. I don’t understand what was supposed to make me feel connected to them as a couple.

As far as the other actors in the movie, the only one I found very likable was Nellie McKay (and she’s a musician). Lisa Kudrow came off basically as a gold-digger, Kathy Bates was mean to everyone until the very end, and Harry Connick Jr. somehow managed to be kind of a dick half the time.

The one thing for which I will give P.S. I Love You credit is that it avoided the cliché romantic ending. As the movie progressed, I would have bet serious money that Hilary Swank and Harry Connick Jr. would end up falling in love at the end. It really looks like it’s going to happen but then it doesn’t. I’m glad there was no one around for me to make that bet with…

Overall, this film was a disappointment. The idea behind it wasn’t bad at all, but it’s tough to like a movie when you don’t really like the characters. [Two out of five stars.]

6 Notes/ Hide

  1. faneffingtastic said: The book made a lot more sense. There was a good deal more about the two as a couple that pulled you into it. The book was ok, although I found it highly annoying at times but the movie didn’t do the book justice at all.
  2. spdracerx posted this