Movies in Review: "The Lucky One"

Ok so I didn't expect to like this movie. I only went to see it because I wanted the chance to rag on Zac Efron's acting yet again. I had a hard time believing him as a leading man in the trailer for this movie. Although I thought the weight he put on to play this role suit him physical, I just didn't think he really had the acting chops to carry this character...

And I was right, he didn't. Don't get me wrong, he was actually better than I thought, but he was still hard to believe. For example, like the awkward first kiss he and Taylor Schilling's character shared made me cringe. The 2nd kiss was a little better...thank goodness. It was actually kinda of weird because Efron seemed to have very few lines. His performance seemed to be mostly visual. There was a lot of focus on what was being said through his character's eyes. I can't say that I was mad about this. I think having Efron speak too much would have ruined this movie.

The one thing that kills this film is that the story seems to drag. Blythe Danner was one of the major components that added some fun and spice. This movie felt like something that could have been seen on the Lifetime channel. I don't think bringing it to the big screen was the best investment. It's a cute love story, that has very predictable elements. If you're a Zac Efron fan, I don't think you will be disappointed with his performance. I don't think he's a leading man yet, but he's getting there...C