Morbidly Romantic
posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 in Movie Reviews
There is a sense, while watching P.S. I Love You, that it's all coming from a genuine place. One gets a feeling that the filmmakers treated it as a personal tale, one that they could pour their heart into. That can be an admirable thing, but there's just no getting around how disjointed and bloated the story feels sometimes, even with all its heart. Holly's husband Gerry has just died. She goes into a deep depression, until she receives a message from him on her 30th birthday. He has left several letters for her, intended to help her get over his death and find her happiness in life. With every instruction his letters give, Holly explores a little bit more of herself, and she finds herself reliving some of her fondest memories of her husband.
Said out loud, the premise seems a little ridiculous. But I'm really not jaded enough yet to deride the sentiment behind it. There are a whole lot of problems with plausibility and convenient plot devices, but it's all easy enough to ignore. It does come off as rather morbid, though, especially in some of the middle parts, The film owns up to its own morbidity, though, not that it makes it any easier to swallow.
And anyway, the premise isn't the problem. It's how it all turns out. The script isn't the greatest, relying heavily on sap instead of earning its sentiment. It also goes on for way too long. You can really feel the length, since the progressions come off from coincidences rather than character development. It comes off like a series of vignettes instead of a full coherent story. That approach can work sometimes, but here, so heavily invested in the growth of a single character, it comes off as disconnected.
On the filmmaking side of things, there isn't a whole lot to write home about. It's shot competently, but unimaginatively. The production design could have helped the audience along during the film's many flashbacks, but it doesn't. The film is pretty sweet overall, though. It can be a real tearjerker at times, which really seems to be the whole point anyway.
The cast is packed with a whole lot of solid talent. Between Harry Connick Jr., Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Lisa Kudrow, and Kathy Bates, the supporting cast has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, they aren't given all that much to do. The movie really focuses on Hillary Swank's character, and Swank, while a fine actress, doesn't really seem to have the charisma to hold down this character. She comes off as rather severe and unrelatable, which can be a problem at times. Gerard Butler is mostly there to be swoon-worthy, and that's fine.
It may seem that I'm really down on this film, but really, it isn't as bad as all that makes it out to be. Despite all its flaws, the film mostly works due to how refreshingly earnest the film can be at times. The film isn't particularly well-made, and it isn't particularly well-written, but somehow, it's able to grab you at times. In the end, it's just okay.
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