Safe Haven

Starring: Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, David Lyons, Cobie Smulders
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young woman (Julianne Hough) running from her past meets a kind widower (Josh Duhamel) in a small town, where she tries to start a new life.

Review:

Tim: Any movie with Julianne Hough in a starring role immediately throws up red flags for me. She's a weak actress with little personality, and I still am amazed Hollywood is trying to convince people she's worth seeing in a film. She's overrated, and I anticipate the day when her career ends I don't have to see her anymore. That being said, I wasn't predisposed to hate this movie. Nicholas Sparks book adaptations can be okay, director Lasse Hallstrom is very good, and I tend to like Josh Duhamel. This film had quite a few strengths to offset the Hough factor.

The story is interesting, although I had a number of flaws with it. The best aspect is that the story has some unpredictable moments, which is not what I expected with a romantic dramedy. The mystery aspect of the film was one of the most engaging, because it kept you interested in the story. I was very curious about what exactly was happening, and how it would all turn out. The film's unexpected twists were very welcome. I do need to comment that there's a very big twist near the end. Most of the other surprises in the film, I didn't see coming. Unfortunately, right before the big reveal, the hints sprinkled throughout the film finally coalesced in my mind. I said, "Wait a minute..." and then the final twist happened. I have to say I was less than impressed with it. The reveal there felt a bit forced and manipulative. It did not end the film on an especially strong note.

The cast as a whole was about average. Julianne Hough once again gave an average performance. I suppose she's not the worst actress in the world, but she's never done anything remotely impressive. Her turn here was serviceable, but I would have liked the movie more with a stronger actress in this role. I did enjoy Josh Duhamel here. He has a good on-screen persona, and he was likable in his role. I thought he added a good deal to the film. I also loved seeing Cobie Smulders here, although she added very, very little to the final film. I appreciated Smulders' presence, but I wish she had something more important to do. David Lyons was another nice addition, and he played the psychotically obsessed police offer quite well.

Safe Haven is certainly not a movie that follows the same path as other films. It goes it's own direction, and I really appreciated that. The twists in the plot were welcome and exciting. Unfortunately, Hough was too weak. Some of the events in the film seemed really far-fetched. As a whole, there just wasn't enough here. This is not a bad movie, but it seemed far too ordinary for me. I liked Duhamel's character, but there wasn't a whole lot else to like here. This wasn't a particularly good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



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