Secretariat follows a specific formula, but in the process creates a surprisingly good film. It is simple to predict what will happen, especially considering the real-life origin of the story, but keeps your interest through great acting and direction.

Secretariat is the story of, you guessed it, Secretariat, arguably the greatest racehorse in history. and how the persistence of one Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) and the passion of an eccentric trainer (John Malkovich) enabled a down-and-out horse farm to raise a Triple Crown-winner.

Secretariat contains all the typical elements of a Disney-produced biopic: a traditional hero, a family drama, an underdog, and a feel-good conclusion. And although there has been fervent backlash against “formula films” like this one, there’s a reason they work. For some reason, we respond very well to a three-act structure with an established hero and easy-to-grasp conflict and although many avant-garde filmmakers may experiment with different narrative techniques, all with varying degrees of success, this traditional story-telling device will always connect with audience if done right.

And Secretariat is definitely done right. The film is a great mix of drama, sports action, as well as some good humor running throughout. The script establishes characters that we care for very quickly and efficiently, setting up the story in a way that prevents it from ever losing our interest.

The movie is supported by fantastic performances all-around, especially from the two leads. Diane Lane provides a fantastic heroine that we can not only cheer for but also feel for her struggles. It is always nice to see a truly powerful female lead who doesn’t feel the need to act like a man to show her authority. Mrs. Chenery takes control of the situation and champions the underdog horse when no one else will. As always, John Malkovich is great in a slightly off-kilter role.

Secretariat is well-directed, especially during the race sequences. You can really feel the speed and power of these majestic animals as the director opts for a noticeably cheaper camera in exchange for getting much closer to the action. The cameras zoom right alongside the horses as they jostle for position in the track. Horse-racing is an exciting sport that loses its excitement on TV most of the time but the movie avoids that by showing those key scenes in a great style.

So although Secretariat is at its core a simple Disney film, it was definitely not rushed. The production value is very high, the direction is good, and the acting extremely solid, which is necessary for such a drama. And although the script is predictable, that never hurts the emotional impact of the movie because we really care about the outcome.

Secretariat becomes much better than the idea behind it would suggest, thanks primarily to its excellent performances. Secretariat is a rare, good sports film that gives you the chance to root for the little guy, which I know we all love to do.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

I must admit that by the end of the second act of Nights In Rodanthe, the sappy romantic inside of me was almost won over by the film.  Almost. But about a minute into the third act, the professional film critic in me took over, immediately recognizing the film’s overly sappy final 20 minutes as a form of exploitation on our emotions.  It’s as if the film is trying to bully us into weeping, saying “Look how sad this is.  And this.  And this.  And this!” Now, here’s a lesson for filmmakers when it comes to perfecting a truly moving moment or moments: never, ever pulverize us with extended shots of characters crying their eyes out.  If crying is ever effective and rubs off on the viewer, it’s because it’s used an appropriate amount of time.  But in Nights In Rodanthe, the waterworks just feel obligatory in a way, but that’s what Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the book the film is based on, is known for: sad endings.  Now, fans of Sparks’ work may very well be satisfied with this adaptation, but to anyone else, it’s just another mushy romantic drama.

But that’s not to discredit the rest of the film, which is overall pretty different and relatively easy to sit through.  Even if Nights In Rodanthe contains the usual gimmicks of a romantic drama, what really sells this thing are its two main stars, Richard Gere and Diane Lane.  It’s obvious that the two of them have good chemistry, which translates well to the screen, and their chemistry is easily the best thing about the film.  But the fact that everything eventually became so weighted down in melodrama made it clear to me that while faithful to the dramatic essence of the 212-page novel, the film is really just a play at our emotions when you get right down to it.

Since Nights In Rodanthe comes from a book by Nicholas Sparks, as I mentioned earlier, it of course takes place in my home state, North Carolina.  Set more specifically in the cozy little beach-town of Rodanthe located in the Outer Banks (a lovely vacation destination), the story follows two love-depressed individuals.  Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) is a deeply committed mother on the fringe of divorce from her cheating husband Jack (Christopher Meloni).  In order to temporarily escape from the hassles of her personal life, Adrienne has agreed to watch over an inn owned by a close friend (Viola Davis), set precariously on the shore of a beach in Rodanthe.  During an extended weekend, the inn has only one guest: Paul Flanner (Richard Gere), a bone-weary doctor still grappling with the consequences of some recent tragedy.  Both Adrienne and Paul are at the Inn during a weekend where a ravaging hurricane is expected to strike the Outer Banks, so they are basically confined there.  And as they gradually come to learn more about each other, they of course fall in love in the time span of a few days; isn’t that how these things always go?  What happens next?  Well, I’m certainly not one to willingly spoil a movie for anybody, but if you’ve seen enough of these sappy romantic movies, then you can make a fairly accurate guess.

I speak from years of firsthand experience when I say that the Outer Banks is a very relaxing and beautiful place to spend a vacation.  My family and I go down there every summer and thoroughly enjoy it.  So I was pretty excited to see certain locations and areas that I’m very familiar with on the big screen.  However, while it was nice to see the Outer Banks used by Hollywood, I was also disappointed by how the producers portrayed the journey there.  The film has Paul come in on a long winding bridge, which is accurate, but then he boards a ferry to travel to Rodanthe.  That last part is entirely false.  After driving across the bridge, Paul would have to drive down a road that would give him about a 20 to 25-minute drive to Rodanthe without crossing a body of water.  What’s more, after departing from the ferry, Paul drives to Rodanthe, but from the opposite direction.  He drives away from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, when he should traditionally be driving toward it.  In my humble opinion, it wouldn’t have killed the producers to keep the facts straight where the journey to Rodanthe was concerned.

But back to the movie itself, and as I said before, Gere and Lane are the best things about it.  The chemistry that the two of them share makes their scenes together all the more believable and tolerable.  Despite the typical cliches that are thrown out to us amidst the simple plot line, Gere and Lane are able to shine above all those cliches and sell the material well enough.  In fact, even though I’m giving Nights In Rodanthe an overall negative review, I’d still say that it just might be worth your time on a rainy day if you’re at the multiplex and you’ve seen all the other good movies currently playing; I say that because the two stars headlining the picture.  Also, Scott Glenn has a very good small role in the film as a grieving man who may be part of the reason Paul visited Rodanthe in the first place.  Plus, James Franco is also very good but very underused as Paul’s estranged son.

Director George C. Wolfe certainly has the proper vision for the film, as each exterior beach scene perfectly captures the sunny beauty of the Outer Banks.  In fact, he’s so good at that, that at one time I think I actually felt as if I were back on the beach.

But the main two performances and effective eye candy are ultimately outweighed by the roll-your-eyes-at-the-ceiling sappiness that takes center stage at around the end of the second act.  I wouldn’t have minded it if it hadn’t been so drawn out, especially in one scene where the camera lingers a few seconds too long on a character who’s sobbing their eyes out.  Plus, if you’re familiar with Sparks’ work and/or have read the book, it kind of detracts from the whole experience considering you know on what note the film will end.  So, in the end, Nights In Rodanthe is a wave of ocean water that crashes just before reaching the shoreline.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Plot Synopsis: FBI agent Jennifer Marsh is tasked with hunting down a serial killer who posts images of his victims on the Internet. As time runs out the cat and mouse chase becomes more personal.

Personally I am a huge fan of Diane Lane, and not just due to her being a hottie!!! Looking forward to seeing this. Most likely a DVD rental though