Safe Haven (2013)
The reason I enjoyed the book of Safe Haven so much was because it wasn't just a romance. It was a thriller. It avoided the usual cliches and tediousness of Sparks' novels (in my opinion), and while it obviously did have some of that (it wouldn't be Sparks if it didn't) it was definitely a better book because of the thriller aspect.
Likewise, the movie is a better movie because it isn't just your typical romance flick. Thus (in my opinion) it’s a more interesting film. It has so much more to it; it’s exciting, it’s emotional, it’s painful, but it‘s beautiful. And I mean that in the most heart-breaking sense.
What is Safe Haven about?
A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her. (from IMDB)
My review of Safe Haven
The cast
The acting is decent all round. The exceptions are the kids - the girl, especially, is one of the most infuriating child actors I have ever seen. The boy isn't much better.
Cobie Smulders and David Lyons are good in their supporting roles (Smulders is Katie's friend, Jo). Lyons is chilling and violently frantic as Katie's abusive husband, and he dove headfirst into the panic and cruelty of his character with strong results.
Julianne Hough I feel a bit uncertain about. She isn't how I pictured Katie when I read the book, and somehow, although she’s lovely most of the time, she doesn't quite show the reactions and personality that I expected from Katie after reading the book. But having said that, she did win me over through her chemistry with Josh Duhamel...
Hough and Duhamel are on fire; it's the kind of chemistry that can bring tears to your eyes because it's so raw, so honest, so beautiful, and so intense. At least, it brought tears to my easy-to-make-cry eyes. They are a gentle, gorgeous couple. When Alex runs after Katie to convince her to stay, my heart literally burned. That moment is so beautiful.
Hough and Duhamel aren't Ryan & Rachel's Noah and Allie, but their chemistry is certainly on point - rain or no rain ;)
Story and plot
The script is lovely. The dialogue is beautiful, although nothing incredibly profound, and the action starts from the very beginning. My heart was racing the entire time; it’s brilliant and never boring. And, the story is a gut-wrenching one, but powerfully portrayed.
But Alex and Katie's romance was beautiful among the shadows, and it shone, radiantly and triumphantly, to show hope and strength.The film adds and alters many details from the book, but I think most of the changes are natural and, actually, a big improvement on the book's version (with one exception: the film's climax was too short and I didn't like how they cut a lot of the action).
The dazzles of humour made me smile frequently, and the certain additional scenes that weren't in the book are perfectly included to showcase shots of beauty and passion that are just so natural and beautiful to see.
I particularly loved this additional scene where Alex and Kate are in Alex’s store one night, and they start dancing. They then start to kiss and hold each other, and honestly that scene has got to be one of my favourites in the film. It’s so beautiful.
Visuals, Production, and Cinematography
The cinematography is decent and the scenery idyllic. The sun-sprinkled beach and boats, the homely restaurant, and the roaming forests are picturesque one minute and frighteningly chilling the next. The atmosphere can change in an instant, and yet the entire setting of the story is swept with a very down-to-earth, storybook-like breath of fresh air.
