Nights In Rodanthe

Director: George C. Wolfe
Screenwriters: Ann Peacock, George Romano
Starring: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Scott Glenn
Running time: 97 mins
Certificate: PG

Richard Gere and Diane Lane reunite for this tale of two nice, good-looking people drawn together while trying to break free from pasts littered with emotional turbulence. Tragedy ensues, but love finds a way of making everyone stronger. Now doesn’t that sound like the perfect recipe for a contrived schmaltz fest that‘ll have you wretching with an overdose of cheesy sentimentalism? After all, their sob stories make them perfect X Factor contestants.

Somewhat surprisingly though, it all tastes rather authentic. Great performances, effective direction and a clever structure all ensure that you’re better off trading in any cynicism for a fresh hankie. Nights In Rodanthe, adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ bestseller, brings together Gere’s stubborn plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Flanner to a remote seaside guesthouse in a bid to make peace with someone deeply affected by an operation gone wrong.

It just so happens that Adrienne, played by Lane, is temporarily looking after the place and taking a break from a tumultuous domestic life ravaged by her adulterous husband and traumatised children. Despite initial frost between the pair, the onset of a vicious storm in Rodanthe puts wind in their sails and a romance begins to blossom. But will it last?

Having previously teamed up in The Cotton Club and Unfaithful, Gere and Lane demonstrate their chemistry as an on-screen couple, successfully selling us the emotional authenticity and intimacy of the story and making us yearn for their collective wellbeing. Gere oozes with an effortless and enigmatic charisma as the surgeon with a mysterious past, neatly teased out through well-timed flashbacks. As the eventual subject of his affection, Lane brings out a defiant dignity beneath the psychological scars of her past.

Director George C. Wolfe wisely opts for unobtrusive camerawork that allows the performances to breathe and not be lost in the editing room. This doesn’t apply to just the leads though, as teenage actress Mae Whitman is superb as Adrienne’s animosity-filled daughter, and veteran Scott Glenn is magnificent as a bereaved widower. Wolfe does display an impressive visual versatility when the storm finally hits the guesthouse, as the forces of nature are depicted in immensely scary fashion.

Much has been made of the youth-skewed priorities of mainstream Hollywood cinema, with aging stars - predominantly women - finding decent roles hard to come by. Fortunately, Nights In Rodanthe showcases the timeless talents of Diane Lane and Richard Gere while skilfully tackling a weepie storyline in a sensitive and engaging style.

> What do you think of the movie? Share your views