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From teen princess to Oscar nominee to perky Oscar hostess…Anne Hathaway has certainly come a long way in the last decade. Fans love her because she somehow manages to be beautiful and witty and absolutely everyday—all at the same time.
Hathaway’s charm is a big part of the appeal for director Lone Scherfig’s latest romance, One Day—especially if you haven’t read the novel by David Nicholls. She stars as Emma, an insecure college grad who meets fun-loving playboy Dexter (Jim Sturgess) on July 15, 1988. What starts out as a botched fling soon becomes a lifelong friendship, which the film shows on the same date, year after year.
Through the years, Emma and Dex both experience life’s ups and downs. Emma’s dreams of becoming a famous novelist in London fade as she takes work waitressing at a Mexican restaurant. Dex, on the other hand, travels the world before returning to London to become a famous (though controversial) TV host. Both have relationships with other people—and they move in and out of one another’s lives—but they always remain undeniably connected.
Over the course of more than two decades (swiftly depicted in a little under two hours), One Day tells a potently dramatic story about friendship and love, missed opportunities and bad timing. The storytelling is smart—and it’s done surprisingly well, too. In revisiting the characters on just one day of every year, it somehow manages to explore their relationship while also filling in some details about the other parts of their lives: their careers, their families, their accomplishments, their disappointments.
As for the love story, it’s almost impossible not to get caught up in the romantic tension that radiates from each scene of One Day. Sturgess and Hathaway easily sell the romance and passion that lingers just beneath the surface of their characters’ friendship. Still, their relationship isn’t exactly a healthy one, which can be frustrating (and even excruciating) to watch—especially if you’ve ever been in Emma’s position.
Through much of the film, poor Emma pines like a lovesick teenager for the hard-partying playboy who seems to call only when he needs a shoulder to cry on. Apparently knowing how she feels, Dex plays with her emotions, keeping her on the back burner while he parties his way around the world. If Sturgess weren’t so ridiculously charming, he’d be a completely detestable character. And if Hathaway weren’t so delightfully wry, her character would be just plain pitiful.
The stars’ irresistible charm carries much of the film—but, after a while, the constant drama becomes oppressive. By the time it reaches its manipulative and not entirely unpredictable climax, you’ll feel the full weight of the story’s two decades—and, like Dex, you may have sprouted a few gray hairs of your own.
A summer romance should leave you feeling moved and uplifted—but One Day will most likely leave you feeling exhausted, depressed, and maybe a little bit bitter. It’s skillfully adapted and beautifully acted, but the ever-increasing melodrama and the contrived conclusion make it a late-summer downer.
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