Selling the sizzle, not the steak

Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess sell the sizzle, not the steak in Lone Scherfig’s “One Day.” With a novel premise, a bittersweet tale, and hardworking actors who are easy on the eyes, it’s only fair to expect the movie to hit the ground running –and soaring.

Alas, it doesn’t quite work out that way – the production doesn’t get off the ground, because it fails to let its narrative elements percolate in a truly satisfying and “relatable” way: Emma (Hathaway) is yin to Dexter’s (Sturgess) yang –they’re kindred spirits who are instantly attracted to each other the first time they meet on the night of their college graduation in 1988.

But, the easygoing Dex wants something more out of life: He enjoys living on the fast lane, as well as the alcohol, drugs and women that go with it. Every year for the next 20 years, we see the star-crossed pair’s respective journeys (together or separately) play out before our eyes on the anniversary of their first meeting –until their seemingly divergent paths eventually cross!

Reason

If Emma and Dex really care for each other, why does it take them that long to get together? This question crops up because the movie doesn’t offer a tangible reason for their perplexing, decades-long “estrangement” – we just see the lonely Emma pining for Dex every time she runs into him! Given Emma’s beauty and bearing, it’s hard to believe that the only other “option” she has is a scruffy nerd who refuses to spend a lot of money on their dinner dates.

Sure, love moves in mysterious ways – and Scherfig tries to demystify the couple’s inexplicable situation by chronicling his protagonists’ highs and lows to make them more “human.” Even with occasional moments of stirring dramatic catharsis, however, this device muddles the exposition even more, because it looks like we’re watching two disparate stories in dire need of a common ground.

As usual, Hathaway has a committed and commanding presence, but she is simply too beautiful and affable to be “physically” credible as her self-effacing character. Sturgess’ textured performance vividly maps out Dexter’s journey, but the British actor has a hard time “connecting” with Hathaway. Throughout the movie, you keep wondering what they see in each other that makes their love worth all the trouble!