Movie Review: Endless Love
The first thought that crossed my mind when I heard the title; Endless Love, was that it will be a total cliché of a romance film. After seeing the trailer a billion and five times on television, it still struck me as a film I couldn’t wait to see!
The plot of the story revolves around a very wealthy, beautiful, young girl named Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde) and a handsome, charismatic, young man named David Elliot (Alex Pettyfer). After the untimely death of her older brother; Chris, Jade isolates herself in an unpleasant world with her parents Hugh (Bruce Greenwood) and Anne (Joely Richardson). Having been fostering a crush on Jade since sophomore year of high school, David and Jade finally connect after graduation; opening up a whole new world full of difficult decisions and challenges.
Following in the footsteps of other romances like Titanic, The Notebook, and even Romeo and Juliet, Endless Love showcases a young inspiring love story between a rich girl and less fortunate boy being kept apart by the evils of their own families. Jade is college-bound; planning on taking up an incredible offer for an internship at one of the most pristine Universities in the United States while David only plans on taking over the auto mechanic shop owned by his father, Harry Elliot (Robert Patrick). The fire that is kindled over the sparks of the couple’s powerful romance causes Jade to rethink the perfectly planned future her father wants for her. This is where the trouble begins.
This film is perfect for the teenage girls (and boys) who enjoy the cookie-cutter-summer romance. The story lacks some originality and becomes fairly predictable as the film progresses. For example, the conflict in the film is pretty much centered on the hate and non-approval Jade’s father has for David and his willingness to do anything to tear them apart. Besides this element, the cast was actually very enjoyable to watch. There were quite a few great one liners made by David’s best friend, Mace (Dayo Okeniyi) and Jade’s other brother; Keith (Rhys Wakefield), who had the entire theater erupting in laughter with their witty and sarcastic behavior. Pettyfer has been cast as the perfect guy any girl might hope to fall in love with. He makes the audience swoon with his charming smile and dreamy eyes. At one point, his character really captures the heart of the audience when he expresses his thoughts on what he needs in life: “Clean socks, cold milk, a warm bed, and a nice girl to come home to.” This specific scene in the film really showcases the differences between David and Jade’s cold-hearted father and really deepens the love between Jade and David. As for Wilde’s performance, it wasn’t anything Oscar worthy but she played her character well as she changes mindsets throughout the film.
Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde in “Endless Love.”
© 2013 – Universal Pictures.
As a romance crazed teenage girl, I really enjoyed Endless Love despite the unoriginal storyline and overall predictability. I still felt it was a fresh take on the commonly used plot and wasn’t as clichéd or cheesy as it could have been. Besides, everyone loves to hear a good story, so why not one about love in which director Shana Feste creates the power and effect of true love worth fighting for?
