One Day rings every conceivable notion of romantic love from its source material but instead of internalising it, and focusing all this energy onto creating robust round characters it constantly berates the audience with these two people need to love each other, and its star Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturges are never given enough time to ever be in love. We are told they are, with scenic promises ,but its little use when as actors themselves have to force so much from themselves to convince us, it should be the easiest thing in the world.
And its all the convoluted “One Day “ scenario that does not let the film breath. On every 15th of July, it follows wither Emma or Dexter in what happens to be going on in their lives at that specific point, and that is the failure, it feels very arbitrary what disposes these people to make these choices, we look at them like a 4th tiered friend would enquire at a lull in conversation. From Dex’s TV cretin to Emma’s slow road into her dreams its never engaging as at any point the next year could be anything. If it were grounded in less grand characters, and set in one estate or small universe for us to watch change with their timeline it would be much more successful.
The initial meeting is so integral to the chemistry, but its just what both actors do very well, Jims cocky bashful bachelor and Anne’s quirky reserved slightly uptight gem , but for their mist successful performances they have always had time to evolve into themselves, at a rate of 20 different set ups in time they are never given moments to shine as a couple but always just spout negligible plot points to set up the nest years eventual meeting. It feels too novelty to create a real spark between the two, instead of bonding over time it becomes aloof and cocky to see out of curiosity what they are doing, and we should be entangled in there personalities traits at these periods not lean plot development all the time. There is one moment of brevity and it’s a real release to the audience to have a moment with a character but that bicycle ride turns into yet more plot turning, Why do filmmakers not recognise love stories need to flourish under the expectations and needs of characters not the needs of storytelling.
Lone Scherfig of the stoic “An Education” and the almost wonderful “Wilbur want to kill himself” here is servicing the needs of plot too much, she creates a wonderful universe but just like An Education the people are so cold and servicing the film like mechanics to progress it plot wheels, we never get to enjoy the little moments, which is what every love storey is, little pieces of time that become a universe, not the opposite
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