One Day chronicles every July 15 from 1988 to 2011 in the lives of Dexter (Jim Sturgess) and Emma (Anne Hathaway). They both graduate college, relative unknowns, on 7/15/88, hence our story begins. This is one of those tales in which the duo continue to find ways not to get together, but we as audience members know they were meant to be – well, aside from the fact that they aren’t very alike, of course. Anne is bookish and frustrated with life. Dexter is an indulger, taking every hedonistic pleasure as if paid to do so. Which he is for a time. When Dexter becomes a televised emcee and public figure, we aren’t surprised. The fact that he doesn’t forget all about Emma after hitting the big time? That surprises us.
And, of course, it’s never a proper cinematic love story without the exaggerated positions. Dexter becomes loathed in the press; Emma eventually becomes a popular children’s author. Love never happens to people with bad luck; love is their bad luck. Awwwwww. At least I think that’s what’s being said here. It’s confusing because Dexter is a jerk most of the time. A lovable jerk, but a jerk to be sure. Even when he’s endearing, he still can’t help pushing Emma’s buttons and making a spectacle of himself. Ladies, if that’s your cup o’ tea, well, he is very handsome, no denying that.
Film romance always gears towards the frustrating and/or tragic. Shakespeare himself taught that frustration makes love intense and tragedy makes love eternal. We’ve been coloring by numbers in one form or another ever since. You see the gimmick in One Day, right? If we only check in on Emma/Dexter once a year, it’s like we lose all that boring pining, anger, mundane relationship garbage. Who needs that? Just give us the frustration/tragedy update, like SportsCenter. “We bring you *LIVE* to Paris this July 15, 1998, where Emma has just started a relationship with a sexy Frog – and here comes Dexter for the weekend … looks like a top 10 play right there, Dave.” If you’re gonna see this one, see it all the way through – the last ten minutes makes the first 97 worth it. Sort of.
Rated PG-13, 107 Minutes
D: Lone Scherfig, one of the fiercer predators in the Black Forest
W: David Nicholls
Genre: Quirky doomed love story
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Suckers for romance, even when the guy is a jerk.
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: People who don’t buy Anne Hathaway’s accent
