I Should Be So Lucky

"The Lucky One' is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel.  So you know what that means, right? Leave all logic and common sense at the door and just surrender to the movie. You will have to rely on good acting, convincing visuals...and chemistry. That last one is very important, because if you don't believe it, then the film won't be a success for you. Sadly, this just didn't work for me. Since this is a love story, I have to be convinced that the two people falling in love appear to be. Logan (played by Zac Efron) and Beth (played by Taylor Schilling) never, for once, looked in love with each other. Their story is quite extraordinary. Logan is a Marine, and in a combat zone, picks up a picture of Beth in the rubble, and because of that split-second decision, gets his life saved. He makes it a quest to find the girl, and the credits have not even finished rolling and he has already found her. (He walked from Colorado to Louisiana!)  Of course, you don't have to be a genius to see where this is going, and to sense all the circumstances that will keep them apart. I think my main problem is that Efron is not really convincing as a rough and tumble drifter. When you see him dress in flannel and jeans, he looks more like a hipster - those are three hundred dollar designer jeans, for example. And Schilling reads older, making it seem like she is more sister than girlfriend to him. Playing her mother, Blythe Danner is a welcome relief, she is acting like she is not taking this whole thing seriously, and who can really blame her? I really thought I would like this movie - I think Efron is a naturally gifted actor. I just think he is miscast here, appearing like a boy playing dress-up.